Heliodrome Collision
by the LIME-GREEN color
Summary: The adventures of Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries- they really never end.
1. Heliodrome Collision

**This is the untold exchange between Nadira and Hal Slater when Matt and Kate go off to talk when everyone meets in the heliodrome.**

_"Miss de Vries," I said._

_"Mister Cruse," she returned. There was a terrible moment of silence as everyone looked at everyone else. No introductions were offered._

_"Might I have a moment alone with you?" Kate said to me._

_"I don't see why not."_

_"Excuse us just a moment please." She smiled politely to Nadira and Mr. Slater , and the two of us walked off a ways._

_- Skybreaker, page 128_

Nadira watched with narrowed eyes as Matt Cruse and this Miss de Vries walked to a distance where they could not be heard. She turned on the man standing next to her.

"Who are _you_?"

He raised his eyebrows and said, "I might be asking you the same question, Miss…"

"Nadira."

He nodded his head, looking her over.

"And what would a gypsy be doing with young Mister Cruse at the heliodrome?"

"I'm a Roma, not a gypsy. The rest is none of your business," she returned bluntly. He nodded again, deciding not to reply. Nadira didn't say anything either, and the awkward silence hung in the air, like a bad smell. They looked over and saw that all the previous tension between Matt and Kate had melted away.

Finally Hal Slater broke the silence by holding out his hand and saying,

"Hal Slater, by the way." Nadira ignored the offered hand but decided instead to glare at the returning Matt Cruse. What in the world did these two have to do with Matt, who was supposed to be just like her? _Miss de Vries_ and Hal Slater nearly had money spilling out of their pockets.

Hal also turned to face Matt and Kate, and crossed his arms, smoothing an amused look onto his face.

He wondered why the lovely Kate de Vries chose to spend her time with Matt Cruse.

**Sorry this was really short- fun to write, though...**

**Review and tell me if you've got any good ideas for oneshots. **


	2. After Adventure Goodbye

**So, this isn't actually from Skybreaker, but the end of Airborn. **

**To be more specific, it's when Kate and Matt say goodbye. Matt talks about it a bit at the last chapter. **

I could hear the busy noises of the Aurora, my ship, being put back together behind me.

After being ravaged by the unexpected landing on a mysterious island, the island with cloud cats, she needed some big-time fixing up. I wasn't worried, though. It wouldn't be long until she was back in the air, carting rich men and women around through the sky.

Looking ahead, I saw Kate and Miss Simpkins waiting near the ship. While Kate looked calm and relaxed amidst the dozens of people bustling about, her chaperone jumped at every sound, and her eyes wouldn't stay still.

Just before we landed, at dinner while I'd been serving Kate a dish of arctic char, she had asked me, "Will I see you again? I mean, once we've landed?"

This had surprised me, her talking so openly in the middle of a fancy dining hall, surrounded by fancy people in awfully fancy clothing. I didn't bother to glance at Miss Simpkins. I already knew there would be a disapproving frown, plastered on her face.

"I'm not sure. I'm expected to be helping with repairs and loading our next haul. I suppose I could meet you near the ship, after we've landed. If you don't mind waiting a few minutes."

Much to my dislike, Kate's chaperone cut into our conversation, and her voice was chiding.

"Kate, that's not a good idea. Your parents will want you home as soon as possible."

All Kate did was smile at me and ignored Miss Simpkins. "That's a fabulous idea; we can say goodbye."

I nodded, and with a foul look from the chaperone, I left to wait the other hungry guests.

Now, I approached them, and Kate looked up at me and smiled. Miss Simpkins glanced in my direction and looked away again.

"Hello," Kate said cheerily, but with a note of sadness.

"Hello."

She looked over at her chaperone and rolled her eyes at me. "Since Marjorie here is about to jump out of her shoes, I suppose that we should be going."

She stepped forward and hugged me tight. Surprised, but pleased, I hugged back.

"I'm going to miss you. Though you'll come to see the cloud cat exhibit, won't you?" Her voice was a bit thick.

"Of course, I'll be there," I said, "And I'll miss you too."

I felt her give me one last squeeze, and then stepped back. I turned to Kate's chaperon.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Simpkins," I said very politely.

I saw a flash of surprise dart across her face before she covered it up and all I got was a vaugue,

"Hmm, yes…"

I glanced at Kate again, who looked a little bit embarrassed. But she saw I was trying to hide a smile, so she laughed.

"Marjorie means, 'yes it was lovely to meet you too'," she told me. "Good bye, then."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Sorry," she muttered, wiping it away. "I guess it hasn't really hit me that we're actually safe and back home. That was the most excitement I've had in my whole life!"

"Well, the same goes for me," I said. "Goodbye."

Kate smiled, then glanced at her chaperon and turned to leave.

I stared after Kate with a heavy feeling of disappointment in my chest. Next time, I thought, things would be different. By society standards, she may have been turned a proper lady by then.

She would not associate with a mere cabin boy, even if he was considered a hero, back on a deserted island.

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	3. Sky Death

Grunel was hunched over his work, small hands scribbling near incomprehensible things. The Hyperion gave a shudder, lurched forward even faster.

His fist slammed on the table, annoyed at the constant interruptions. He had risen to the sky and escaped the ground for the sole reason of finishing his inventions. Particularly one. It was suppose to be free up here, safe from his contractors and safe from Barton's undying greed for more.

He was proud, though, of his work. As a father would be proud of his son setting out on his own. For the Prometheus Engine was finished. A cleaner source of energy. He did feel a twinge of regret, though. Some of his other designs were not yet finished, due to the interruptions. The spider-like machine that stood near the Engine was faulty. Grunel had tried this contraption on his man servant, promising the reward of one day off. Yes, in the end, a slip of paper had been deposited, and it _had_ showed scores, but not after nearly mutilating the man. Grunel hadn't seen hid nor hair of Hendrickson for his whole day off.

Just as he was about to set off to work again, the small speaker phone next to him spoke. It was Hendrickson's voice that said,

"Sir, may I come in for a moment?" Feeling the dire urge to hit the table again, Grunel replied with a simple, "Why?"

"I need to speak with you, on behalf of Mr. Barrington, sir." Feeling no need to answer, Grunel instead hoisted himself up, and walked over to the enormous steel doors and opened them a crack.

"Yes, Hendrickson?" The manservant furrowed his eyebrows, and without looking Grunel in the eye, said,

"Mr. Barrington, sir, told me to ask you if I could be "borrowed". He needs another man in the control car."

"If I recall correctly, you do not have much experience with airships, Mr. Hendrickson."

"Yes, sir," he muttered, "but I've been asked to help, sir." Grunel blew a breath-full of air out of his cheeks, annoyed.

"If you absolutely must, tell Barrington you have my permission." Hendrickson nodded, but did not leave.

"Is there anything else you need my permission for, Mr. Hendrickson?"

"No, sir. I'll leave."

Once Hendrickson had left, Grunel slammed the door closed. Another interruption. Too many interruptions. Sighing, he stooped back over his calculations.

On the other side of the steel doors, the footman, Hendrickson, veered off from his path to the control car. It was quite true that he had next to no experience with running an airship. He was, after all, a man servant. Instead, he headed towards Grunel's bedroom.

He'd been there often enough to know what he was looking for.

Praying that Grunel would not choose to navigate his secret tunnel to appear and catch him, Hendrickson went to the bookshelf, and flipped a switch. The secret door hidden by the bookshelf opened. Hendrickson slipped inside. Breathing a little unevenly, he warily made his way to where he knew his fortune was waiting.

Kneeling beside a seemingly ordinary steel plate, Hendrickson stuck his hand in the small catch and slid the small compartment open.

His eyes widened at the crates that filled the compartment, surrounded by explosive wires. His breath caught at the glittering gold that sat stacked inside the crates.

He was nearly knocked over by the Hyperion heaving to the side, shaken restlessly.

Back in the engineerium, Grunel received some news from the control car.

"Bad news, sir, they've chased us into some nasty weather. The worst, a devils fist, sir."

"What should that matter to me, Barrington?" On the other end of the speaker phone, in the control car, Barrington took a deep breath and said,

"Sir, I believe that there is a good chance we'll not get out of this alive. We may have minutes left, sir. Should I keep at it?"

For a third time, Grunel slammed his fist to the table, and barked,

"Dammit! Yes, keep at it. _I_ expect to get out of this intact!" Unlike Grunel's anger-masked voice let on, he was panicked. Breaths becoming shallow with fear, he threw down what he had been working on, and strode to the coffin. Lifting the lid, Grunel leaned down to flip the near-hidden switch. The trap door opened. Grunel stepped down to the stairs, hands shaking.

He stumbled under the beams that would normally hit others square in the forehead. Grunel could feel the temperature becoming colder, and colder yet.

Pushing through the secret bookshelf-door, not bothering to realize that it was slightly agar, as if left open by a hasty retreat, Grunel gasped and fell to the ground, letting his weight shut the door closed.

It was all happening so quickly, faster than he could even move.

In the control car of the Hyperion, captain Barrington not only fought for control of the wheel that would guide the ship, but for control of himself. The world around him spun in dizzying circles, the feeling of a drunk man with no air.

The Hyperion had been blown downwards by a strong down-draft. In their attempt to gain height, the captain had ordered all the ballast be dropped.

As it turned out, that had been the fatal error.

Without any of the ballast, a terrible updraft had lifted the Hyperion up and away, literally. In an attempt to escape the sea, the sky had claimed them.

Resting his forehead upon his white hands, Barrington muttered,

"Dear God, thank you for this time upon earth. Keep my family safe. I love them. I hope they know…" Tears slide down his face, and immediately froze in his beard, turning to ice.

Grunel rummaged through the desk to the side of his room, eyes wide in panic.

They were high. Too high. He struggled to breathe. He struggled to think. Giving a guttural yell, his hand closed onto a locket. The metal hurt to touch, cold as it was, but his blue fingers clutched at it.

Stumbling into a chair, feeling too heavy to stand, Grunel swung towards the door. In his delusional mind, he felt the strong urge to wait and stand guard. He would wait for Barton to come. Just let him come. He would come, because his greed would stop for nothing.

Remembering the locket in his hand, he clumsily opened it, fingers fumbling.

He sighed at the sight of his daughter, his beautiful, beautiful daughter. Grunel failed to remember how much he had hated her.

Closing the locket and gripping it in his hand, Theodore Grunel looked forewords once more before losing all losing all grasp of reality.

He became the eternal guard of his true treasure, and waited.


	4. Unknowingly Overheard

**This is from Kate's point of view, when she invites Hal Slater over to talk about salvaging the Hyperion... and this is the conversation Matt overhears...**

**So, to complete this story, I took a hunk of dialogue from Skybreaker, so anything you recognize belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

Kate smiled a fake smile.

"Why don't you sit down, Mr. Slater."

"Thank you, I think I will." Kate almost frowned at his attitude. Instead she just sat down in one of the plump armchairs of her library. Hal Slater took the one next to her.

Having somewhat sparking an interest in Matt about trying to capture the Hyperion, Kate had pursued the "connection" Philippe, her flight instructor, had suggested. That connection had been Hal Slater, the young captain and owner of an actual skybreaker, named the _Sagarmatha_. She had invited him to come talk with her, saying that she could use his services, as well as his ship.

"I've heard of your scientific accomplishments, Miss de Vries. Of uncharted islands and such."

Kate smiled thinly, and said,

"Yes, on a voyage to Sydney, our ship had to make an emergency crash landing of sorts." Slater smiled, again, and nodded, trying to be polite.

"And what did you find?"

"The skeleton of a cloud cat. It possesses the appearance of, a panther, perhaps, though it can fly."

"Remarkable. Quite Remarkable." Kate did not have much patience for people such as Hal Slater. He seemed to have no interest in science and discovery. Saving him the trouble of continuing with his polite ramble, she said,

"Mr. Slater, would you prefer it if we went right to business?" He raised his eyebrows a little at her bold manner, but replied,

"If _you_ would prefer it, Miss de Vries."

"Yes, well, you see Mr. Slater, I am interested in making a bit of a salvage expedition. Of said reward you would have a portion of." This time when Mr. Slater nodded, he was clearly interested.

"What type of salvage would we be speaking of Miss de Vries?"

This was going to be the difficult part. Most people, like Matt, firmly believed that the idea of recapturing the famously un-capturable Hyperion was absurd. Then again, her only chance of convincing Slater might be saying it outright, with confidence.

"A salvage for the Hyperion, Mr. Slater. I presume you've hear of her?" A little bit to her satisfaction, Kate saw Hal Slater's eyes pop a bit. He quickly covered it up.

"The Hyperion, Miss de Vries? Do you have any idea as to how you, or we, would find it? After all, the ship is famous for disappearing. Forty years, ago I believe."

"Yes, but have you seen today's paper, Mr. Slater?" He shook his head and Kate so said, "The Hyperion has been spotted by a cargo ship. And I have its last known coordinates. You have a skybreaker that could take us to her." She choose not to tell him anymore; better not to risk it. Mr. Slater raised his eyebrows again, but didn't ask any questions. After appearing to mull the idea over some, he mused,

"Well, Miss de Vries, this certainly is not the prospect I had been expecting, but we might be able to come to some agreement. Would it be too rude to ask what my cut would be; I hear Grunel was a very rich man." Kate very nearly rolled her eyes, _men and money_…

"I have no particular interest in fortune, Mr. Slater, though I do have a potential companion who I would wish to reserve a percent of money for, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course, we can discuss portions later." Slater said good naturedly. "But Miss de Vries, is there not a thing of interest for you aboard the Hyperion?"

"There is, in fact. I have heard Mr. Grunel also had an exquisite collection of fabled species and extinct animals. Taxidermy. Unless, you too have an interest in stuffed animals, Mr. Slater?"

"No, no. Please, you take whatever taxidermy you want. I have no interest. But what of your companion, would he have interest in _stuffed animals_?"

"No, I don't believe so." Kate smirked, remembering Matt shudder when she had mentioned the potential specimens Grunel had never shown publicly. No, he would have no interest.

Mr. Slater's eyes wandered to the marsupial specimen Kate displayed in a glass case.

"It does seem you have a certain interest for rare and interesting taxidermy, Miss de Vries," he said, getting up to get a closer look at the case. Kate was not at all sure that he was not mocking her, or trying to sound interested.

"Miss de Vries, this creature is vicious to behold." Unconsciously, Kate narrowed her nostrils.

"Nonsense," she quipped, "It's a marsupial, Mr. Slater. It's a cousin of the kangaroo. You're upset by the teeth, perhaps?"

"It's an ugly thing," he said. "It reminds me of my aunt." Kate laughed, this time not as forced. It had reminded her of something Matt would say.

"You certainly are an accomplished young lady, Miss de Vries," he said turning to face her. He obviously was trying to polite, complimentary, and alluring; but all at the same time.

"And what about you, Mr. Slater?" Kate asked, trying to be warm, "your own accomplishments are very impressive indeed."

"Ah," Slater seemed pleased, "so much of what happens to us in life is luck, do you think?" Much to Kate's displeasure, Mr. Slater came to stand behind her chair, resting his hand on the back. But she could not risk scaring him off, though; Hal Slater was her ticket to the Hyperion. Instead she said,

"I don't agree with you there. I think we make our own luck."

She could almost imagine his expression. He chuckled. "A fine notion to be sure. But chance runs like a river through all our lives, and being prepared for surprise is the best we can do."

"How fatalistic of you."

"Not at all. I didn't say we had no control of our lives. Quite the contrary. I think the man who is dealt bad luck, but makes good despite it, is the most noble of men." This sparked anger in Kate, for automatically referring to general human beings as, _men_.

"And does the same go for women?"

"When I say _man_, naturally I mean _woman_ too."

"I prefer to say it aloud," Kate remarked.

"Completely understandable , Miss de Vries."

"Thank you, Mr. Slater." After a small silence, he said,

"Actually, I much prefer to have the word _woman_ on my lips." Much to Kate's horror, Hal Slater bent down towards her face from his place beside her chair. _To kiss her_.

Two thoughts battled each other in Kate's mind, both very important.

One was, _What's he doing? Don't let him touch you!_

The other was, _if I refuse to kiss him, especially if I snap, he might not take us the Hyperion..._

But then, after one great horror was one great relief. The door opened and Marjorie entered the room before Hal could kiss her. Instead, he straitened gracefully and said nonchalantly,

"Ah, Miss Simpkins, we were wondering when you'd rejoin us."

"I was just looking for my book," Miss Simpkins said, almost sounding girlish. "I must have left it here. Ah! There it is."

"I'm amazed you have so many books on the go, Marjorie," Kate said dryly, though she was secretly grateful.

"Really, you two, it is getting rather late."

Mr. Slater looked at Kate merrily, saying,

"Yes, I must be off. I fear Miss Simpkins sees me as a disreputable suitor." Marjorie actually blushed, and seemed rather flustered.

"Dear sir, not at all," said the chaperon, "You are clearly of the most reputable sort. It's such a shame that my Kate seems to have a penchant for the disreputable kind."

Kate quickly disguised a sharp breath; she knew exactly who Marjorie was speaking of. Much to her embarrassment, Mr. Slater remarked,

"Really? How intriguing."

"She prefers cabin boys," Miss Simpkins said with a titter.

Mr. Slater laughed. "Oh, this must be the famous Matt Cruse, the young lad on the _Aurora_." He said it with an amused undertone that Kate did not appreciate. "Rather taken with him, were you, Miss de Vries?" Kate said nothing. It was Miss Simpkins who filled the silence.

"Well, I beleive I shall leave you now, as it seems that Mr. Slater is heading off anyways." Much to Kate's dismay, she bustled out of the room. Slater turned to face her once more.

"Mr. Cruse wouldn't be your secret companion, now would he Miss de Vries?"

"Yes, in fact he is Mr. Slater." Hal nodded, then looked at his watch.

"I better be off, if you don't mind. Though I will meet you… tomorrow, lets say, at the entrance of the Heliodrome. Ten o'clock, how about?"

Relieved that Mr. Slater didn't try to give her a goodnight kiss, Kate readily agreed.

"Yes, that would be lovely. Ten o'clock then. Deirdre will show you to the door."

"Until tomorrow, then," Mr. Slater said, tilting his head at her, and left the library. Kate heaved a sigh of relief. Hopefully tomorrow she would be able to rant to Matt about how completely insufferable a man Hal Slater was.

Just as Kate was about to get into bed, her maid said,

"And Miss de Vries?"

"Yes, Deirdre?"

"When you were in the library with Mr. Slater, Mr. Cruse called. I am sorry, I told him to wait at the door, but I then caught him going _down_ the stairs several minutes later, Miss. I think he was watching you and Mr. Slater in the library."

_That's not good_.

"Thank you, Deirdre, you may go to bed."

The maid curtsied, and left. Kate went to her bedroom, and pulled back the heavy quilt.

What had Matt seen? What had he heard? She fervently hoped he had missed the scene of Hal Slater bending over her, or when he had talked of Matt, seemingly amused. Though if he had, she would just have to explain, and hope he would not be too angry.

For now, she would just get into bed, sleep, and prepare herself for tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.

**So, I did have to take a large hunk of text from the book, the part where Matt overheard.**

**But I thought I moved pretty smoothly from my writing, to Kenneth Oppel's, and back again.**

**I need more ideas!**


	5. A Miserable Jealousy

**So, this is a snippet, or a few snippets, of the "groups" time aboard the **_**Saga**_**. It's only from Kate's point of view.**

**It was nice that I could finish this; I had no homework tonight! **_**Big**_** shocker, seriously! **

Kate sat down next to Hal Slater; even though her better judgment told her not to.

Taking a deep mental breath, she said, "Hello."

"Hello," Hal said with a little more enthusiasm.

_This _will _help you with your research…_

"I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about those creatures that landed on the ship. I'd love to hear more about them."

Hal smiled broadly, clearly pleased, "Of course; all in the name of science!"

Kate nearly snapped a response. "Yes, but what did they exactly look like?"

"Amazingly huge to live in the sky." Hal said, "The electric tentacles nearly got me!"

Kate heard footsteps enter the room. She glanced up quickly. It was Matt who sauntered in, and he gave her and Hal a cursory glance. She wasn't sure if it was regretful, or jealous.

But Kate was good at covering her feelings. She had to be. From when she was young, her parents had told her that it was an embarrassment to them for her scream, or even to cry. When her beloved grandfather died, she was forbidden to shed even a tear at the funeral.

Looking back at Hal, she asked enthusiastically,

"You've never seen anything like this before?" She _was_ truly exited; this was a huge discovery. Maybe more than the cloud cats had been. She had been right in predicting that large animals could survive in the sky.

"Never."

Kate smiled. "This is an amazing discovery, you know. It's certainly very odd. It seems to combine the characteristics of a number of aquatic animals. The squid, the jellyfish, and the electric eel of South America. And yet, its element is air, not water! It actually flies!"

"Floats anyway," Hal said, "Likely just riding the winds. The thing was light enough."

"No. It had hydrium," said Matt. Her attention rocketed from Hal to Matt. Hydrium! Keeping her composure, she said coolly. "What was that?"

"Hydrium. There was one right over me-" Rudely, Hal cut him off.

"A bit far-fetched, don't you think? Hydrium comes from deep within the earth, Cruse. You're saying it produce its own lifting gas."

Matt said simply, "It smelled of mangoes." Hal said nothing, then turned to Kate and continued to describe the floating squid. Kate nodded and took notes.

Again, Matt intervened. "Don't forget to tell her about the beak." Purposefully, Kate turned to Hal and asked,

"It had a beak?"

"Absolutely," he said. "Sharp, like a squids."

Matt left for the kitchen, to Kate's dismay. She tried to ignore him, turning to pepper Hal with more questions. She wanted to go into the kitchen with Matt, pepper _him_ with questions, and ask if he was alright. If he was hurt from the accident, or even if he was hurt by her. If he was sorry.

"It should have a name," she said.

"Of course," said Hal, "would you do the honor?"

"Really, the honor should be yours since you saw it first."

"I insist."

"That's very gallant of you. Thank you." Kate thought for a moment. "Aerozoan. Creature of the air."

"Well done," said Hal. Aerozoan seemed perfect; this creature needed a powerful, exquisite name to match its powerful, seemingly exquisite nature.

Kate glanced over at the kitchen to see Nadira sit across from Matt. Her stomach rolled in anger; at both Nadira and Matt. After exchanging a few words, she saw Matt smile. Nadira moved closer, and they both leaned over one of Matt's textbooks.

Kate swallowed, and pried her eyes away, back to Hal.

A while later, sitting in the lounge, Matt inquired to Miss Simpkins,

"How are you faring, Miss Simpkins?"

Over-dramatically, she wailed, "I'm flaking away! My skin's terribly chapped from this dryness!"

It was most certainly becoming dryer and colder as we climbed, hour by hour. The way the glass of the windows froze indicated that it was, indeed, very cold.

"What about all your moisturizing creams?" Kate asked. "I hear you putting them on all through the night." Kate was in a sour mood, and Marjorie was easy prey. She made the sound of a jar lid being unscrewed.

"Only if I happen to wake up," Miss Simpkins said defensively.

"After all that, I'd think you'd be soft as a slug by now."

"But my creams are running low" the chaperon said, "just look at my hands!" Kate dutifully went over to look.

"Gosh, you do look a bit mummified," she said gravely.

Miss Simpkins withdrew her hands and glared. Hal cut in, saying,

"It's devilishly dry at these altitudes, Miss Simpkins. There's not much to be done, I'm afraid. Drink lots of water. More important, keep walking. I know you're all feeling listless with the thin air, but you'll acclimatize faster if you stay active.

"It's all I can do to walk across the room without wheezing," complained Miss Simpkins.

"Make sure you take at least two walks a day, for at least twenty minutes each. Don't let yourselves get weak. On this journey, the sky itself will prove to be our greatest adversary."

Miss Simpkins had been coughing some, and Kate had been getting headaches every so often. Nadira too. Everyone seemed to sleep fitfully.

Deciding to play up the jealousy factor on Matt, and because she was curious, Kate turned to Hal and inquired,

"Do you feel the thin air at all?"

"I'm used to it," he have a dismissive wave. "I should have been born a Sherpa. Two thousand feet or twenty thousand, it makes no difference to me." As if to prove his point, he added, "You know, I fancy a cigar."

"Oh, must you?" complained Miss Simpkins, coughing a little.

"Afraid so, Miss Simpkins. Cigar, Cruse?"

"Yes, thanks," Matt said. Kate was shocked; Matt didn't smoke. She pointed out so.

"Matt, honestly," she said. "You don't smoke."

"You've just never seen me." He gave a wink and a grin. This was not the Matt Kate knew; he was foreign, and acting like a complete git. She was hopelessly lost and did not know what to do.

"Good man," Hal said, cutting the tip of a cigar and handing it to him. Hal had certainly been holding Matt in higher esteem since he had been working with the crew. Kate watched Matt light his cigar, and lean back with a contented sigh.

"Ladies?" Hal humorously offered the box to Nadira, Miss Simpkins, and Kate.

To Kate's surprise, Nadira accepted one, and light it expertly.

"I think I'm going to be ill," Marjorie said.

"Have you been smoking long?" Kate asked with keen interest.

"Mmm," Nadira replied.

"Is it…traditional?"

"You mean is it a gypsy thing?" said Nadira. "No. It's just the men make it look like so much fun. Want a puff?"

After scarily a moments hesitation, Kate said, "All right."

"Kate, no!" exclaimed Miss Simpkins. "What would your mother say?"

_Ooh, scary._

"Someone would have to tell her first," said Kate, looking sternly at Marjorie. She took Nadira's cigar and had a puff. A horrible stink meet her mouth; Kate winced.

"You know, I rather like it."

"You don't," Nadira said.

"It's a very interesting taste." She prepared herself, and took another drag.

"Give it back before your sick," laughed Nadira. Kate surrendered the cigar.

"This is all most diverting," Hal said.

Kate did start to feel sick, though, and by the looks on the others faces she must not have looked good either.

"Excuse me," she said, standing quickly and leaving the lounge.

Marjorie found her throwing up in the bathroom.

The next few hours had been very dramatic. Kate had missed a good deal of it, lying in bed. The crew had picked up a transmition; and it had been Rath's ship. Immediately Hal had accused Nadira. But while they had been ransacking her pack and belongings, apparently Matt had interrupted. The light he had seen in his room back in Paris must have been Rath and his crew. They had hidden a tracking device in his pack. Kate was relieved he had chosen to sleep somewhere else that night.

After talking some with Matt and Nadira in the lounge, Kate said to her chaperon,

"Marjorie, that cough of yours sounds wretched. Perhaps you should go to bed and sleep for a long, long time."

"I'm rather tired, you know. This thin air."

"Go ahead. I promise not to wake you up when I come in later."

"Very well. Don't stay up too late."

Everyone watched Miss Simpkins leave the room.

"That was nicely done," said Matt once Miss Simpkins was out of earshot. _This_ was the Matt Kate knew.

"She's really quite a masterpiece, isn't she?" Kate said. "One day Madame Tussaud's will make a wax dummy of her."

"In the Chamber of Horrors," added Matt.

Before she could catch herself, Kate laughed. Matt smiled at her, and she started to smile back. But then, remembering how she was suppose to be angry with him, she wiped the smile clean from her face. Mentally, she sighed. _That_ had been a real smile, not like the fake ones she gave Hal.

After chatting uneasily for a while, everyone all left to get some sleep.

Matt caught Kate in the corridor, before she could slip into the room she shared with Marjorie. He looked at her for a few moments before asking,

"Are you angry with me?"

"Why on earth would I be angry with you?" Kate asked in return, sounding surprised. In truth, she was not surprised at that fact that she could be angry with her, but rather that he asked at all.

"Oh," he said, "I just thought you seemed a bit vexed with me."

_Yes, of course I'm _vexed _with you, idiot! _She wanted to scream out loud at him. Then she wanted him to reassure her that it was all a huge, bloody misunderstanding.

She couldn't say anything, though. For one thing her pride stood like a filter between her heart and what she wanted to say, and what she could say.

The horrible part was that Kate had meant what she had said; she did like Nadira. But she was beautiful too, which added to the truth of why Matt would pick her over Kate.

"Not at all," she told Matt. No anger at all.

"No vexation whatsoever? Not even a little bit?"

"Not in the slightest."

"You're sure?"

She smiled politely at him. "I'm just tired. Good night."

"Good night, then."

Inside her cabin, Kate quickly put on a night dress and slipped into bed. Not waking Marjorie, as she had promised.

Kate could not remember a more ghastly conversation.

_He must think me a rich, stuck up old pig. _

If she could only dig out a small iota of evidence that Matt was just as miserable as her, she might have the courage to at least put it in the open that she had seen them. Kissing. At least then they could be clear of what ground they stood on. Otherwise, anything could happen.

_At least if he knew, _I _would know if it was me that was the problem. _

***Sigh* This put me in a bit of a sour mood, just like Kate. And Matt. **

**Maybe next time I'll make something up, like what would have happened if Nadira hadn't been there when Kate came up to say "hi" to Matt in the crows nest. But then of course, something else probably would have happened to make things just as bad between Matt and Kate...**


	6. Doing Something with Life

**Some dialogue belongs to Kenneth Oppel in here. Also, I forgot to put a disclaimer on the last one, so yes, on **_**A Miserable Jealousy**_**, lots of stuff there belongs to Kenneth Oppel too. Thanks for letting me use it, legally. **

**So, as the last one made me sour, this piece has given me a bit of sadness and a bit of happiness. **

**This is from Nadira's point of view, starting generally when Matt and Kate go to fetch ice.**

Sighing, Nadira peeled of her warm, fur gloves. The machine was certainly heating up the engineerium nicely. Glancing over at Hal, she saw that he was poking through Grunel's things. He was searching for his treasure; once seeming so close that you could almost reach out and grab it. Though Hal was not the only one who had been hoping for fortune, Nadira's hopes were sinking lower also. As the _Hyperion _was lifted higher and higher, everyone's once-good spirits were drifting downwards.

Matt and Kate had been giving each other cold shoulders for a while now; though it was quite obvious that they were both miserable. On the other hand, Hal had been maintaining a jolly mood, for he seemed to be winning over the attentions of Miss de Vries. It was only now that he was becoming sour; Nadira wondered if there was more to his success story then what Hal had told them.

Just a few minutes ago, Hal had sent Matt off to fetch ice.

"_Cruse, there's a bucket over there, perfect for water. Grunnel's machine is making me thirsty." Matt went over to the bucket Hal had pointed out, and banged out a frozen block of sand. Probably Grunel's form of a fire extinguisher. _

"_Someone needs to go with you," Hal said, as Matt headed for the door._

"_I'm fine."_

"_No one goes alone. Kate, go with him. I'd send Nadira, but with all that amativeness, she and Cruse might get up to mischief."_

_Hal laughed at his own joke, though Kate did not seem amused in the slightest. She grabbed the torch from her rucksack, and walked past Matt, staring ahead. _

Though Kate didn't seem to be happy with Matt, Nadira had been enjoying his company. Before she had known him, it had seemed obvious that he would turn out to be another brave cabin boy-turn hero, who was not afraid to kill. In the past weeks, she had learned better.

Yes, he was brave. Very brave. More than he would probably ever admit. And that was what made him kind. She had meant what she'd told him; there wasn't a bad bone in his body. She wasn't even sure he would be able to take another life at all. It had been the wind that had knocked her pirate father off the _Aurora_; not Matt. And it had been the cloud cats that had really killed him, in the end.

Nadira settled back and closed her eyes, though she still breathed heavily. From the other end of the big room, Nadira heard Hal making his way back to their campout.

"I don't understand it. Grunel was supposed to be filthy rich! And we've not found a damn thing aboard this whole, God-damned ship."

"I'm sure he's just hidden everything away. For safe keeping." Nadira still tried to keep a bright lookout on things, overcast as they were.

Hal snorted. "Odd little man, Grunel."

Nadira nodded in response. Hal, seemingly unable to stop pacing, stood up again and walked away to continue searching.

"Where are those two? We might as well use the time we have uncovering Grunel's _safe_ treasures," he muttered.

As she sat, Nadira's mind drifted back to her home. As much as she had been elated at being free at last, she still seemed to fret over what was going on at the home she had left. The distress Nadira imagined her mother to be in must be fading by now. She would not think there would be a hope of her daughter ever returning; she was either dead, or had left. Either way, gone for good. And it was true.

Near the other end of the room, the engineerium door scraped against the ground, opening slowly. Matt and Kate were back with the bucket and ice.

Nadira was a good observer. And the first thing she noticed as they walked in was that the tension and dislike that had been boiling between Kate and Matt seemed to have vanished. She had gotten used to the way they had avoided each other for the past weeks. But now it seemed to be the way it had been at the beginning of their adventure. They looked happier.

_Good, then. No more bickering, right?_,she thought.

Matt noticed Nadira looking at them and smiled at her before glancing in Hals direction.

"Hal, we've got the ice!" Matt shouted.

"Good. Put it near Grunel's machine, would you? Might help it melt some." Matt set the bucket down next to the heat-emitting contraption. He certainly seemed to be in a better mood then when they had left. Kate came over to sit next to Nadira.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I smiled at her; I did like Kate. She had somehow managed to become a likable, kind person even with her upbringing. From what she had heard, Kate's parents didn't much care for her, and she usually was followed around by her chaperon, the pompous Miss Simpkins.

"Alright, thank you. The heat has certainly helped. How are you?"

"As good as I can be, I suppose. Being trapped on a floating death-icicle puts a sour mood on things."

Nadira grinned. "Exactly." Kate smiled back.

Hal walked over again.

"Come, now everyone. Let's get searching for our fortune, shall we?"

We all sat up to help. Everyone was instructed to search different parts of the engineerium.

While searching, Nadira glanced over at the sound of hissing water. The sprinklers in the glass cage where Grunel had kept his aerozoans in were spitting water. Nadira also noticed that Matt and Kate had gone over to investigate. They seemed to talk easily enough together, now.

A stab of jealousy for Kate hit Nadira, surprisingly hard.

She looked away when Matt glanced around the room. She watched again as he reached out and took Kate's hand.

Feeling almost guilty, Nadira looked away and went back to searching. The last weeks had lulled her into the sense that she might have a chance with Matt and that maybe she was good enough for him. Kate had just seemed so cold towards him. But something must have happened when they had left to chip ice. Nadira was sure that they had made up.

It made her incredibly sad.

A while later, after finding nothing of much interest or use, Kate asked Hal if she could go back to the dead zoo to itemize the displays. He grudgingly gave her thirty minutes. Matt volunteered to accompany her, something Nadira did not think he would have risked just hours ago.

Her mood dragged on the ground. If the salvage did not amount to anything, Nadira would have nothing to go back to. She would probably be even worse off than if she had stayed with her mother and married the man with the bad teeth. At least then she would have a sure place to stay and regular meals to count on. If they came back with nothing, she would have meager amounts of money, no break, and now, no Matt. Perhaps they would stay friends, but never more than that. He was interested in Kate. He probably even loved her, too.

They both came back from the dead zoo shivering and frosted over. Now, huddled under the blankets, Nadira started to fully realize that they may not _ever_ escape this frozen tomb alive, with, or without fortune. She was starting to cough more and more, the lack of air was charring her throat, like the cold that would have frozen them solid if not for Grunel's machine.

Both her and Kate were taking more frequent sips from their oxygen tanks, and Kate had a cough too. The only bright side would be that the _Saga_ might come in a matter of hours.

Matt volunteered to take the first watch so the rest of them could sleep. Nadira and Kate strapped on their oxygen tanks and settled down as best they could. Hal slept also, but with no oxygen.

As Nadira fell into a much needed sleep, she brooded on the huge changes that had come to mold her life so quickly from what it had been. What she had done to the life she had.

_I have taken a hold of it, that's what. _

She had, and if she never would have left, then she would be stuck with an old man with rotten teeth living as a housewife.

_I would have always regretted that_, Nadira thought.

But if they all died, right now, she would have at least done something.

**So for this, I wanted some sympathy for Nadira. As far as she goes, I'm with Matt on this one. She is a great person, but not for him.**

**I also wanted to say thanks to justlooseit00 (), who has reviewed these stories, though for some reason there was no link to reply to you... So thank you. It's probably something really obvious.**

**Thanks a bunch to Torgira Ikonka for all the reviews and back and forth messaging! Thanks also, Echo910; you were my very first-ever review.**


	7. Disapproved Match

**So, once again, parts of this do belong to Kenneth Oppel.**

**This, was really fun to write. It's from Miss Simpkins point of view.**

**Enough said.**

_How in the world did I ever allow Kate to talk me into this mess?_

Marjorie Simpkins was sitting in an armchair, busy with her needle work. Though unfortunately for her, she was not sitting in an armchair in an apartment in Paris, France as she should be. Quite the contrary, Miss Marjorie Simpkins was in fact sitting in an armchair, in a lounge, and on a ship that was on its way to the coldest place on the planet. At least at the coldest place on the planet, it would be summer time. But it would still be the coldest place on the planet.

Kate really had been the one who had dragged her into this situation. Only three days ago, Marjorie had been in the middle of instructing the maid on how to properly make a good pot of herb tea when she had caught young Miss de Vries in the middle of packing her belongings.

"_Kate!" she had cried. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"_

_Miss de Vries jumped; caught in the act. "Marjorie, for heavens sakes, calm yourself," she said, trying to tame her wildly over-reactive chaperon. "I'll just be out for a few days. Nothing for you to worry about."_

"_A few days!" the chaperon nearly wailed, "Kate, whatever will your parents think?"_

"_I thought we had an agreement, Marjorie? I do still remember that little fling _you_ had." _

_Miss Simpkins actually blushed. But she knew what she had to do. "Then I'll just have to come with you."_

_Kate's face was shocked._

"_Marjorie, you can't!" Kate snapped. "You hate flying, anyways." But her chaperon had already left the room; to start packing. _

Since then, Kate had filled her in on how they would be taking a trip on Mr. Slater's ship, the man that had paid a visit only a few days ago.

Not that she would ever admit it, but this thought had intrigued Miss Simpkins. Mr. Slater had been such the gentlemen, and was quite hansom too.

Kate had also mentioned that they were going to _retrieve_ a ship, the _Hyperion _from the sky. There was treasure aboard, and Kate was to give a portion of her to-be fortune to Marjorie once it was obtained.

To her disappointment, the ship had taken off before Miss Simpkins had had the chance to mail a letter to Kate's parents. This letter had told the tragic tale of how poor Miss Marjorie Simpkins did not have a choice but to loyally follow her innocent charge, to whatever doom fate may have in store.

Now, Miss Simpkins was sitting in the lounge of the _Sagarmatha_, with a gypsy girl, a cabin boy, and Kate for company. Occasionally, she would peek over the top of her needle work to look at Matt Cruse with narrowed eyes. This boy should not be here: he was a bad influence on Kate. They spent far too much time together. It was just as healthy for Kate as the foreign meal had been last night.

Much to her dislike, Miss Simpkins watched as Kate walked over to stand by the boy. They talked in hushed voices. It was extremely embarrassing; Kate _knew _better then to go chatting like that in front of other people.

Hoping they would just drift apart, and save her the further embarrassment of having to intervene, Marjorie went back to her sewing.

But only minutes later, unable to remain silent any longer, Miss Simpkins, using her best sing-song voice, called,

"Hello over there, you two. Yoo-hoo!" They both turned to face her, Kate looked a bit exasperated. "Whispered conversations in the parlor setting are considered a no-no in polite society. Kate, you know better then that."

Kate looked at Matt and whispered something to him. He whispered back.

"Nadira and I might wish to be included in your conversation," Miss Simpkins said cheerily cutting in once more.

"Not me," said Nadira. "Sweethearts need time alone."

Marjorie's eyebrows nearly flew off her forehead. "Oh, heavens, they're not sweethearts." She gave a brittle laugh. "Goodness, no."

There was a small silence before Matt spoke, "I was just on my way to the control car."

Marjorie's eyes followed him to the door. She then looked at Kate, and found that she was staring back.

Miss Simpkins gave a little shake of her head, and returned to her sewing_. _

**So, this was just a bit more "lighthearted". Again, fun fun fun to write write write!**

**Thanks all my readers and reviewers, you guys make me feel absolutly on top of the world.**


	8. Aim and Miss

**Once again this is from Kate's point of view, and as I was asked to do, takes place when she stumbles in on Matt and Nadira kissing. **

**All dialogue belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

It's hard dragging yourself out of a comfy bed early in the morning. But Kate had done it. She wanted to watch the sunrise up in the crow's nest with Matt. It was his shift.

Though things were very comfortable on the _Sagarmatha_, they were also a bit cozy and crowded, so she and Matt had not had many opportunities to just talk. She'd like to hold his hand for a while.

Kate made her way through the ship, heading to where she believed the crow's nest to be. It was very quiet and nobody was around. She guessed that nobody _had_ a reason to be around; the _Saga_ was right on course and running smoothly. There would only be some of the crew in the control car, and then Matt up on top of the ship, keeping lookout.

The crow's nest ladder was awfully high. Kate looked up. The air was getting thinner and thinner as the skybreaker rose higher; this meant that most activities that you wouldn't break a sweat on normally would leave you breathless.

Kate started climbing, glad that she had worn appropriate shoes. About half way up, she glanced above her, trying to see how much a climb was left. She could pretty much see into the little nook where Matt would be.

Her next breath came out strangled and choked. It wasn't just Matt up there, by himself. Nadira was there too. Her mouth was practically glued to his.

Matt was kissing her back.

A million thoughts and emotions flew through Kate's body and mind all at once. She felt as if somebody had aimed a hard punch at her gut. But it wasn't her stomach that ached. It was her heart that started to throb instead.

Then her blood started to boil, too. Anger welled and squeezed tears out of her eyes. The rage started to cover up the pain and sense of betrayal she felt from Matt. It had never honestly occurred to Kate that someone else would take an interest in him at all. And it seemed even more absurd that _he_ would take an interest in anyone else. What a stupid lie.

They both seemed engrossed; her arms on his shoulders, his hands touching her face and hair. Then they broke apart, breathing hard on the thin air. Nadira tilted her head up, expecting more. Matt stepped away and scratched his neck. Kate could barley catch a few words of what they said.

Words like, "miserable", "shouldn't", "betrothed," drifted down to Kate. She also heard her own name. "Kate."

She couldn't turn around now. Being purposefully noisy, Kate started to climb the rest of the distance to the top of the ladder.

Matt said something very quietly, and then Nadira spoke,

"Should I step outside?" Matt did not answer.

Kate called up from below. "I thought I'd come and say hello. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." It was hard to even speak to him. Kate's head emerged into the crow's nest; she looked from Matt to Nadira. Acting surprised that Nadira was here at all, she smiled as big as she could.

"Oh, hello! Did you come to see the sunrise too?"

"Nadira couldn't sleep," Matt said. _Apparently, _Kate thought.

She was flushed and blowing hard from the long climb up the ladder. She reached out a hand for help, and Matt helped her onto the platform.

"You know, it's really surprisingly roomy up here," she observed, trying to act as she normally would. She took a moment trying to regain her breath.

"You just missed the sunrise," Nadira remarked.

"Did I? What a shame. I have a bad habit of sleeping late. Matt can tell you all about that. Remember the pirate village, when we were trying to escape?" In her desperation, Kate had decided to try and make Nadira feel jealous, and Matt awkward. Perhaps there would be chances around Hal to make Matt jealous as well.

Matt gave a hoarse chuckle.

"It must have been stunning up here," Kate commented. "The sunrise."

"Thrilling," Nadira replied.

"Well, I'm so glad we had the same idea," Kate said, not really meaning it. "What fun. And what a view! I can see why you've been avoiding us, Matt."

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said. "I've just been busy. And if you two don't mind, you really should go back down."

"But I just got here," Kate protested, laughing at the irony.

"If Slater finds out I've been entertaining up here, he'll have a fit."

With only a split hesitation and wanting to hurt Matt, Kate said,

"Oh, Hal won't mind." She paused. "I was hoping we could have a little chat about those floaters you encountered. I've hardly seen you since then, and I want a full account . I even brought my notebook."

"What a surprise." Kate could not tell whether or not she saw a flash of hurt jump across his face. "I'll tell you all about it tonight when I'm off duty. Honestly, you two, it's very hard to see properly with so many people up here."

"The glass is a bit steamed up," Kate said. She took out her handkerchief and wiped the misted glass with it. "There you go. Is that better?"

"Loads, thanks."

"I don't think Matt likes us up here," Nadira remarked.

_He doesn't like _me _up here,_ Kate thought bitterly.

"Is the presence of two young ladies a bit distracting, Mr. Cruse?" Kate inquired.

"I'm all aflutter," he replied.

Kate turned to Nadira. "Maybe we should leave him be."

"Good idea," she agreed. "Let's have breakfast."

As the two descended the ladder, chatting amiably, Kate glanced up to see Matt watching them disappear from sight.

Matt was left to contemplate his jumbled emotions.

**As for the requests that I do something from Starclimber (I'm being eaten away), I don't have it yet!**

**My dad just pre-ordered it from Amazon (not Canadian Amazon), so I should have it between the 25 through the 27...**

**I promise, I shall shower you with Starclimber fanfics when after I read it!**


	9. Warm in a Cold Place

**Disclaimer: All dialogue and a few lines belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

"What's that?" asked Kate, trying her hardest to sound merely interested.

"Just a loose elevator chain," Matt replied.

"What about that wheezing noise?"

"Air blowing against an intake vent," he said.

"Are you lying to me?"

"As best I can, yes."

Kate's eyes narrowed. "You don't need to lie to me," she said testily. "I'm not a child."

"Fine. I have no idea what these sounds are. That thumping noise? For all I know it might be the dead, marching toward us." Kate's breath caught; Matt was scared. She could tell by his voice. And if Matt was afraid, then there _was_ real reason to fear.

The ship reeled to the left and quickly righted herself. Somewhere, a door slammed.

Automatically, Kate clutched at Matt's arm.

"The wind," he said breathlessly.

"It sounded like it came from Grunel's apartment."

"He's just trying to stay fit," he said, making a joke.

But the situation they were in was no joke. It was even more miserable seeing that there was a constant storm boiling in between Kate and Matt.

Kate did not laugh. She let go of his arm.

"Don't be scared," he said, reaching out to lightly touch her shoulder. "I'd never let any harm come to you."

Ever since Kate had seen Matt kissing Nadira, she had been inflating. She had turned into a balloon. Every day was like a breath of air, blowing her up more and more.

Metaphorically speaking; she was going to explode.

And it only took three words.

"You're a liar."

More would follow. There was a lot that needed to come out.

"What do you mean?" Matt was confused.

For a moment, Kate said nothing. She was reluctant to let out what she had kept a secret for so long.

Five more words followed the first three. "I saw you. Kissing her." She turned to face the other way as an angry tear slid down her cheek. Kate smothered it with her building anger.

"But… I asked if you were angry with me, and you never said anything!"

_Sometimes men can be so shortsighted, _Kate thought. _And idiotic. _

She turned on Matt, eyes flashing. "Of course I saw you kissing her. I was halfway up the ladder! How could I have missed it?"

"I didn't hear you!"

"I'm not surprised. You seemed thoroughly engrossed."

A spark of anger flitted across his face. "And what about you and Hal? The dancing, all the compliments and cozy little chats." He nearly spat the words at her. Kate pushed the conversation back to him.

"Why not? I could see the way you looked at Nadira. Even before you kissed her."

"She kissed me, actually." _Does it matter?_

"Perhaps I should have let Hal kiss me," said Kate, though the thought made her shudder.

"You wanted him to?" he asked, temper cooling slightly.

"He's very appealing."

"Maybe you should marry him then," Matt said. "Or has he already proposed? He means to take you for his wife."

This was news to Kate. "Take me for his wife?" she asked, a laugh slipping through at this preposterous idea. "He said that?" Her voice faltered.

Matt nodded.

"As if I had no say in the matter?" she exclaimed.

"And what would you say?"

"I'd say no," Kate said.

Matt started to smile.

"I have no intention of marrying anyone right now," she finished. "Least of all a wretch like you."

"I'm sorry," he said, seeming worn.

"It's not your fault your attracted to her. She's very beautiful." Like Matt, Kate's anger was fading away. In it's path left exhaustion.

Matt shook his head. "It's you I crave."

Kate's heart jumped, but she pushed the hope back down. This was no time to _hope, _just to have it crushed once more.

"Then why've you been avoiding me?"

"I've just been busy. And you've been so unfriendly. I thought you'd lost interest in me."

"Your such an idiot," Kate exclaimed, "I was just trying to make you jealous."

"It worked."

It had taken words upon words and sentences and days and gestures upon each other to make Kate as miserable as she was. It only took those two words to make everything right.

Kate could practically feel her face light up. "Did it? I was never sure. Were you utterly miserable?"

"Utterly."

"So was I."

Matt reached out and took her hand. "If my heart were a compass, you'd be North."

"That," she said, "is a very romantic thing to say. But it seems the needle swings a bit to Nadira too."

A little magnetic disturbance. Nothing more."

"She scored a perfect ten, Matt."

"You'd have scored eleven. Anyway, what about you and Hal?"

"I do hope he proposes!" Kate exclaimed, thinking of all the boasting rights she would acquire.

"Kate!"

"Only so I could say someone's proposed to me," she explained. "You know the answer's no."

"Just for now?"

"Just for ever. He's a bit of a bully at heart."

"Old Hal's not so bad," he said, being generous.

"He's a natural leader," Kate said. "They're all arrogant. They need to be." That was true. Kate thought so. Hal was not a bad person; not bad like John Rath. Or even greedy like Barton. He was a natural leader, that was all. And he was just not right for Kate.

Matt grinned, and pulled Kate close. With his forehead pressed to hers, he whispered,

"I've really missed you."

"Likewise."

It was not the most satisfying kiss. Their faces were numb with cold, their lips chapped, but it did not matter. Kate enjoyed every second of it; her frozen arms around his frozen neck. Frozen lips and frozen fingers.

But everything was warmer now.

**I wasn't sure I could match the excellency of this moment as Kenneth Oppel had put it in Skybreaker. I haven't...  
**

**But I think I did pretty good.  
**


	10. Flying on Empty

**So I was just pondering ideas when I thought of this. I really do like Nadira. **

**All that is from Skybreaker belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

What should have been even breathing had become rapid pants for Nadira in the last hours. This sky sickness had come as a surprise to her. It had also been disheartening and horrible.

Very, very horrible.

After jumping rooftops and kicking bullets off her heels back in Paris, it had never even occurred to Nadira that she might be weak in the sky. She was strong, and always had been. She had grown up a Roma. She had been _forced_ to be strong, like it was an unspoken rule. She had had no choice. It had not helped that her mother had been a "traitor" of sorts ever since she had married a gadjo; Vikram Szpirglas. Nadira had never fit in to anything she called _home_ because of this.

Now, sitting in the back of an ornithopter that wasn't an ornithopter, pedaling with strength she did not have, Nadira felt as if she was about to black out. Things were not going well at all either; yes, they had managed to escape the downward-falling _Hyperion_, but Matt had not. Back in the hanger her blurred mind had been just able to pick out Kate yelling

_"Hurry, Matt! I can't-" _

to a frantic Matt. And then he was gone. In one spastic leap, the not-ornithopter had jumped like a cat into the open sky.

This cat would not be able to land on it's feet in the middle of an ocean.

"Nadira?" Hal had turned halfway around from his cockpit in front of her. " Can you see Matt? Kate's frantic." All Nadira could do was shake her head. It was no use trying to move her stiff neck when she could be using the small iota of strength for pedaling.

"We'll make it," Hal said, in an attempt to cheer her up. He turned around once more. Nadira swallowed, feeling the dryness of her throat. It felt like she was swallowing a cactus. Nadira had never actually swallowed a cactus before, but she was sure this is what it would feel like. Oh, yes.

In what seemed like moments and hours all at the same time, Nadira ended up looking to the right. Strange, white wisps were floating down next to the aircraft. _Feathers_.

_This is bad, _thought Nadira. _I am truly crazy now._

In a very crazy-like manner, though it was all too real, it was no one other than Matt that followed the feathers and came crashing down right in front of Hal. Matt had wings on. That part did not seem real at all.

Hals good arm locked around Matt, and he slipped into the formally empty cockpit right behind Kate. The dream like wings gusted past Nadira, flying away all on their own.

A bit to her alarm, Nadira saw that Kate had turned around to face Matt.

_Who is flying the ornithopter?_

Three words from Matt and Kate's conversation floated back to Nadira, carried by the wind.

"Made… God… Pedaling…"

_Who made God pedal what?_

Another hour…or minutes…later Nadira saw the _Sagarmatha_. It was a huge relief.

"There!" Kate shouted. She had seen it too.

They were spiraling lower, though. It helped Nadira think straight, but it did not help their chances of the _Saga _spotting them. It could sail away just as easily, taking all hope with it.

In her groggy brain, Nadira had a brilliant idea.

Her numb fingers groped beside her seat and closed around hard, metal flare gun.

Yes!

Nadira continued to pedal hazardously as her finger squeezed the trigger, the barrel of the gun pointing upwards.

A brilliant red rainbow arch shot up and into the sky. Their hopes soaring with it.

Hal and Matt turned around and saw her holding the flare gun with shaking fingers.

"Beside the seat!" Nadira shouted, pointing beside her. Matt gave a thumbs up.

Their message was returned with a miracle, and the _Saga's _bow dipped down. Nadira did not bother to try and decipher what Matt and Kate were saying.

She did catch one word, though.

"Pedal!"

Nadira pedaled her hardest. It is truly amazing what one can do when they are fatigued, exhausted, and falling asleep at crucial moments. Perhaps adrenaline or even God had a hand in it. Nadira did not know what to think. It hurt too much to think about such physiological matters.

It hooked. The ornithopter trapeze connected smoothly with the landing rig. Nadira did not have breath enough to heave a sigh of relief.

"Welcome aboard!" roared Dorje through the bay doors. They were some of the most welcome words Nadira was ever to hear. She leaned back, resting her frozen legs.

And Miss Ram helped her to bed.

**This piece flowed really easily for me; as in it was easy to write. Like the opposite of writers block. **

**So, I may or may not be writing that much for a while. **

**I am currently juggling three projects, two science labs due next week plus a test. **

**No fun WHAT SO EVER. Nada.  
**


	11. A Day in the Garden

**Sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated; one, it's been incredibly busy for me these last weeks, and two, I've been reading Starclimber.**

**Yes, I have finally gotten it and read it! And this is my first Starclimber story. **

**All dialogue you recognize and that is from Starclimber, belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

Bustling around the garden, Kate double checked that everything for the twelfth annual _Summer Garden Fête_ was ready to be presented to it's guests. The drinks tent looked elegant, the food tent nice-smelling, and the garden itself a dazzling green. This was really just out of habit, though, because what Kate was really excited for was the people coming to the party. It was always very fun to drop in on conversations to see what the latest dramatic gossip was. Some things included that the handsome Mister Doiley was in town once more. Or that Susan Haven was seen walking in the park with Mr. Gilford. Though these things became very boring, very quickly.

"Kate, darling!" her mother called from inside the house, "is everything set? The drink stand? And the food? Guests are arriving!"

"Yes, mother, it's all ready. No worries." Kate sighed; her mother could be so twittery sometimes, though she still maintained a proper figure and attitude in society. Kate's parents were told they made a hansom couple. Very hansom, indeed.

"Kate! Come over and say hello to Mister Doiley," Charles de Vries, Kate's father, ordered from the drink tent. Apparently Mister Doiley was in town after all. He was not very hansom either, with short bleached-looking blond hair and eyes that seemed to practically pop out of his large head. As much as Kate did not want to go say "hello" to Mister Doily, she figured it was for the best. She was trying to be on her best behavior, in hopes of gaining consent from her parents to go on the outer space mission.

Outer Space! It was such an exiting prospect that Kate nearly started grinning like an idiot in the middle of the garden. But who knew what life could potentially exist beyond earth! Space had once been hypothesized to be like and ocean, made out of liquid! The sea held such a diverse span of life; so why not outer space? Though it would take more than good manners to convince Mr. and Mrs. de Vries to let their beloved daughter risk her life in the unknown. That was why Mr. Lunardi had been invited.

"Miss de Vries! What a pleasure it is to meet you!" cried Mister Doily, seeming very pleased indeed.

"Mister Doily, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," Kate replied, plastering a polite smile to her lips.

"No, no, the pleasure is all mine!" he crowed. There was too much pleasure going around. "I hear you are quite the scientist. How intriguing!"

"Yes, thank you for your interest."

Mister Doily grinned and nodded, seemingly out of words to spit at her.

"Doily here is a carpenter, Kate. He's doing well, I hear," Charles de Vries said, breaking the silence.

"Good for you, Mister Doily. I shall hope you continue to prosper. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should go have a chat with Mrs. Walt. I believe she is recovering from her knee injury."

"Of course, of course! Give her a _get better soon for me_, will you Miss de Vries?" asked Doily. Kate simply nodded, and walked away. There it was again, a man trying to order her about. It was horrible; Kate hated being ordered about. Even passing on a jolly "get better soon" to withered old Mrs. Walt.

Deciding that she would forget Mrs. Walt and leave her alone, Kate wandered the familiar garden. She remembered well how huge it had been for her when she was young. A whole adventure to have, just waiting to be explored! Then it had been her dream to discover the life of the garden. Now it was to discover the life of the world.

Kate's eyes strayed to the garden entrance, people were filing in, though the flow was drying up some. A woman and two girls trailed behind a one man. Kate bubbled with happiness. Matt was here, with his family.

As Kate looked at Mrs. Cruse, she thought about how beautiful she was. She could see Matt's eyes on her face, though he must have looked more like his father than mother. Remembering where she was, Kate wandered off, but kept glancing back, looking for an opportunity to say hello.

Matt was dressed smartly in his Academy uniform, sure to impress. His dirty-blond hair was smoothed down, blue eyes peeking out.

Matt broke off from his mother and sisters and walked to the large bowl of punch in the refreshments tent. He started filling cups.

Kate had two options. Number one was that she could risk being overheard and go have a nice, quiet chat with Matt. Or she could not risk it, and go greet him and his family later.

It did not take long for Kate to decide and risk it; after all, one was required by polite society to welcome all guests to one's fancy garden party. Most certainly appropriate.

She sauntered over to the refreshments tent, and stood behind Matt.

"Well aren't you just the most dashing fellow in the garden," she said quietly. He was, though. Much more than Mister Doily. Much, much, much more dashing than Mister Doily.

He turned around.

"Mr. Cruse," she said formally, extending a gloved hand, "how nice to see you again. Thank you so much for coming."

"Mrs. De Vries, I'm very pleased to see you," he replied, taking her hand and shaking it politely.

Kate's eyes surveyed their immediate surroundings, checking to see if anyone had drifted too close.

"It's not like Paris anymore," she whispered, though she wished it were. "Do you understand?" Kate could not stress this enough, her parents were considering allowing her on the space expedition. One wrong move could end her up trapped in Lionsgate City, under close surveillance of Mr. and Mrs. de Vries.

Matt nodded. "How much do your parents know about us?"

"Nothing." They could not. " They know you're a student at the Airship Academy in Paris, and our paths cross from time to time at various society functions."

Her eyes flicked around the garden, on the watch for gossipy party guests.

"What about salvaging the _Hyperion_ together last year?" he asked.

_Together_, Kate loved that.

She shook her head and smiled. "Forgot to mention it to them."

"And Miss Simpkins hasn't let anything slip?"

"She's been good as gold."

"So you and I are just acquaintances," he said.

"Nothing more."

Matt sighed. "This is going to be difficult."

"Just pretend we're in a play."

"Well, there's always plenty of drama when you're around."

"It's exciting, though, isn't it?" Kate whispered. "Pretending we're practically _complete_ strangers."

He flushed. "Have you told your parents about outer space?"

"They know _of_ it."

"But have they agreed to let you go?" he asked.

"I have no worries on that count," she said, tapping her temple. "I have a plan."

There was a sudden buzz of excitement from across the lawn. Though it was no surprise to Kate.

"Ah," said Kate. "That would be Phase One."

All of the guests were turning to look at the garden entrance, where none other that Otto Lunardi walked onto the lawn, with his wife, Anna on his arm. Against her husband, Anna seemed to tower.

"You invited him, didn't you?" Matt asked, amusement glowing in his eyes.

Kate nodded, beaming. "My parents are terribly impressed by magnates. I asked Mr. Lunardi if he wouldn't mind popping in. He's going to put in a good word for me. Look, my mother and father have just latched onto him."

Mr. and Mrs. de Vries had indeed latched onto him. They had approached, and struck up a conversation with the Lunardis. They both were smiling. Kate nearly burst with pride; she was sure to have a spot on that ship, now.

"This is going very well indeed," said Kate, still watching. "Exactly as planned."

"Is there anything you don't have planned?"

"A few things," she said. "Now, we've talked long enough. People well start to chatter. Where's your family?" During her conversation with Matt, Kate had lost track of his mother and sisters.

"Over there," he said, pointing.

Kate locked onto them, desperately interested. "Take me right over. I must meet them this instant."

"Don't frighten them," Matt warned.

"Do I look frightening?" Kate started to worry; she could absolutely not look frightening.

"You do look a bit carnivorous."

"I'm just enthusiastic!" she protested. "I've been looking forward to this for ages." Kate had heard a lot of Mrs. Cruse, Isabel, and Sylvia through Matt, though he did not speak of his deceased father much.

Matt lead her over to them, carrying cups of punch.

"Mrs. Cruse," Kate said warmly, "thank you so much for coming. I simply cannot tell you what a pleasure this it!"

"It's lovely to finally meet you, Kate," said Mrs. Cruse, taking her hand.

Kate turned to the girls, and they did pretty curtsies. Their eyes widened when Kate embraced them lightly and kissed them on both cheeks.

"That's how they do it in Paris," she told them.

"Is is?" said Isabel, delighted. Kate smiled; this had been what she had been like as a child.

"Absolutely. They can't stop kissing each other." It catches on quite quickly, too. Paris was an absolutely perfect city for kisses.

Isabel laughed, and Sylvia seemed suspicious.

"What a pretty garden," Matt's mother said.

"Yes, it is nice," Kate agreed, "It's also a graveyard, you know."

"A graveyard?" Isabel asked, spellbound.

Kate nodded and lowering her voice, said, "Not many people know this, but there are several corpses beneath the soil. When I was eight I buried Franz Ferdinand, my cat, at the back, right under that silver maple. And when I was ten, Teddy, my beloved cocker spaniel died. His tombstone's right beside Franz Ferdinand. They got along famously."

Isabel when to have a look, but Sylvia did not. Perhaps she was too grown up for such things.

"We've got a garden now too," said Sylvia, who seemed wary, but fascinated.

"So I hear," Kate said. "What will you plant?"

"I've not had time to give it much thought," Mrs. Cruse said. "I wouldn't mind a bit of a vegetable patch."

"Except that vegetables are so boring to look at," said Kate. "Do promise you'll plant some roses or peonies, won't you? They're so glorious." As soon as the words flew out, Kate worried that they might be too frivolous.

But Mrs. Cruse just smiled back pleasantly, and they continued to chat about flowers and plants. When Kate glanced at Matt, she noticed he looked a bit pale.

Kate talked more to Mrs. Cruse and Isabel and Sylvia. Never once did a silence last for more than a second. After a while, Matt sauntered off. Kate's eyes trailed after him before returning to the conversation.

"Did you grow up here, Kate?" asked Mrs. Cruse.

"Yes, my whole life. With the exception of my recent stay in Paris, really."

"And what is Paris like?"

"Yes, tell us what Paris is like!" Isabel exclaimed.

Kate spoke about Paris. " Well first of all, it is just about as beautiful as everyone always says. Parks, rivers, Sorbonne, the heliodrome, and the Airship Academy. But the one thing that is always failed to be mentioned is the Montmartre observatory. There is an enormous telescope, and you can see the stars perfectly. It's really beautiful."

Isabel and Sylvia were smiling, but Matt's mother was still polite.

"It's sounds absolutely lovely."

After Kate had talked with Mrs. Cruse for some time, she decided it was time to wander through the party more.

She was dying to know what Mrs. Cruse had thought of her. Kate was sure the rose remark had been much too aloof. Though none of the conversation had been exactly awkward, so it must not have been too horrible.

As Kate roamed, she spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Rufleve, and the McOcorand family.

Eyes wandering, Kate saw her father was talking with Matt. Her heart skipped a beat. What could they be talking about? Kate now understood why Matt had looked so pale as she and his mother had conversed; it was terrifying. She hoped that her father was not saying anything embarrassing.

At the same time, Kate was exited. She fervently hoped that her father would take a shine to Matt, and was impressed. Instead of standing wondering and hoping, Kate decided to join the conversation.

"Hello you two," she said, strolling over.

"Ah, Kate, I was just talking with Mr. Cruse," Kate's father said. "A capital young fellow. He'll go very far indeed. Splendid, splendid. Now if you'll excuse me." He walked off, hailing another gentleman from across the lawn.

Kate relaxed some, Charles de Vries had obviously found nothing wrong with him.

She grinned at Matt. "So what did you and Daddy talk about?"

"You, mostly," he replied. "Apparently you'll be married off by next year."

Kate chuckled. "Gosh, I had no idea. I should talk to my father more often."

"Rumor has it James Sanderson is the lucky man."

"The heir to the Sanderson fortune?" she said, eyes wide, faking astonishment. Kate had heard of Mr. Sanderson, he had been mentioned once or twice.

"The same," Matt confirmed.

"My father didn't tell you that, did he?"

He shook his head. "Miss Simpkins."

Kate waved her hand impatiently. She was not interested in George Sanderson now, and she wouldn't be, most likely ever. "She's just making trouble. Don't give Mr. Sanderson a second's thought."

"That's a shame. I've already thought of three ways to kill him."

Kate knew she must be glowing with satisfaction. She felt extremely lucky, having Matt. She wanted to lean forward and give him a kiss. "Really?"

"Two of them were quite good. The third would've been messy. It involved chopsticks. So you haven't head of this plan?"

"Oh, my parents may have mentioned it once or twice."

Matt stared at Kate. "This might be funny to you, but it's really"-he paused, at loss for words- " very painful for me."

Kate had felt the same way on the Hyperion, when Matt had shown interest in Nadira. Except now, Kate knew she wasn't interested in Mr. Sanderson. _She_ had nothing to worry about. "I'm sorry, Matt. Can you really see me marrying someone for their fortune?"

"No."

"Then that's all you need to know," she reassured, giving him a warm smile. "You mother and sisters are delightful. You never told me your mother was so beautiful. I hoped she liked me."

"How could she not?" he said, and Kate bubbled with happiness again.

"Did she say anything about me?"

"I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet." Kate felt disappointed; she had really hoped Matt would be able to give her some inside information.

"No, of course not."

"I think your father's going to let you go on the voyage," he remarked.

Kate nodded, beaming. "I have no doubts at all," she said. Looking over, Kate saw her mother looking at them. "But I should move on now. We've talked long enough. I can see my mother staring at us."

Matt started to say something, but Kate was already floating away in her white summer dress.

As guests began to disperse, Kate said her good-byes and farewells. The day had been fairly successful; her parents seemed that they would let her on the outer space voyage, she had maintained a perfect hostess status, and in the meanwhile had been able to talk with Matt twice.

She could only now wait and hope, she was so very close to being part of the first journey to outer space. Kate had gone from exploring her backyard garden, to the world, and now beyond.

**Well, I am very happy with it; and I hope anyone who read this is too. **

**I loved Starclimber. Yeah for Matt and Kate; their going to get married! (Potentially...)  
**


	12. Enjoying the Rain

**This is not actually from any of the books. My own concoction, in fact; it just came to me, and proved to be good enough to write. A snippet from the lives of Matt and Kate after Starclimber.  
**

**Kenneth Oppel owns all characters etc...  
**

"We're going to have to run for it," Kate said, peering out the large double doors. Rain was had started pouring down only minutes ago. The sky had blackened, and was now boiling like water on a stove.

"Looks like it," I agreed. I opened the door wider, bowed elegantly, and said, "After you, Miss de Vries."

Kate glared at me, then strode out into the downpour. I followed, and the rain immediately began it's job of soaking me through. Kate looked to be in a great hurry to reach the cab. On the contrary, I was enjoying it. My hair was already sloppy wet and the shoulders of my tux heavy with water. It felt surprisingly refreshing.

My feet slapped against the wet ground as I rushed to catch Kate's hand just before she was about to step into the cab.

A noise sounding close to "Gah!" escaped from her mouth as I yanked backwards, away from the comparative dryness that awaited her in the cab. She fell backwards into my arms, flailing. I tipped her back onto her feet, smiling widely.

She turned on me, glaring. "What do you think your doing? It's raining; go get the driver!"

"I like the rain, bossy. We should enjoy it."

"You're going to ruin a perfectly good dress, Matt Cruse," she warned, eyebrows narrowed.

"Do you mind?" I asked earnestly.

"No, I guess not."

The smile returned to my face, and I stepped forwards and hugged her close. Kate's arms snaked around my waist. I started twirling and spinning, and laughed out loud. Kate started laughing too, as we stumbled around and spun, enjoying the rain.

"What's the excuse if someone decides to take a break from the party?"

"You mean if we're caught?"

"Yes, it could cause quite the scandal, you know."

I stopped our spins, and looked at her thoughtfully. "You tripped on the hem of your dress, and I, heroically, am saving you from the clutches of wet grass."

"Wet grass, huh," she said, smiling. "I'm wet already, aren't I?"

"Good point. A twisted ankle, maybe? I could save you from a twisted ankle. With a twisted ankle, you could be imprisoned in bed for a week. We might even be able to get away with two."

Kate nodded, agreeing, "That's a fine excuse."

Her dark auburn hair hung in wet ringlets, framing her smiling face. I reached out and cupped her rain streaked face in one hand.

Kate stepped forwards, and I felt her lips on mine and her arms around my neck, pulling me close. My other arm was left to wrap around her waist, and I kissed back.

"There's probably no good excuse for this," she said around my mouth. I chose not to reply at all. Instead I leaned my forehead against hers, and stared at her closed eyes, willing them to open. They did, and we just stared in silence at each other.

"You decided to give your daring hero a _passionate_ embrace," I suggested, referring to her previous question. My heart galloped wildly.

"Sorry, that would still cause a scandal. How about you go fetch our driver, the cab is much more discrete, I think."

I half rolled my eyes, but obliged. "Alright, just give me a second. I'll be back."

"Just don't twist your ankle," she said cheerily.

"I'll try not to."

There was a small house-like thing, which was slightly smaller than a regular house, that sat next the mansion in which the party was taking place. The smaller-than-a-house house was completely dwarfed by the towering stone mansion.

Unsure of what I was suppose to do, for I was not used to be carted around by a driver, I gave the door a little knock. Then, cracking it open, I peeked inside.

On the other side of the door, a small circle of men were sitting, chatting, and playing cards. They all looked up at the loud groan the door hinges made. My face burned, for I felt as if I was interrupting.

A man, whom I recognized as the one who had taken us to the party, stood and said, "Mr. Cruse?"

"Er, Miss de Vries and I are ready to leave, if you please." It felt terribly awkward, me talking down on this man. All my life it had been my place to look up, not down. I felt dirty and cruel.

"Of course, Mr. Cruse," he said to me, then faced his colleagues. "So long, gents."

"Until tomorrow, Barkly!" said one man, nodding in our drivers direction.

"Good game, Barkly. I'll beat you next time, eh?" barked another burly man.

"We'll see about that, Crudger," Barkly replied, grinning.

I slipped back out into the rain, and held the door open for Barkly. He walked pass, tipping his hat at me. I nodded in return.

"Did you have a good time at the party, Mr. Cruse?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you. It was enjoyable. Thank you for taking us."

He looked a little surprised. "Your welcome, Mr. Cruse."

Back at the cab, Barkly stepped around to the other side of the car, while I opened the door, and ducked in next to Kate. Apparently I splattered her with rain water, because she glared at me haughtily.

"I was just warming up," she grumbled.

"Sorry."

"That's alright," Kate said, smiling. She takes my hand and squeezes. I could feel the hard ring, my ring, under her glove, and happiness bubbled inside me. "Turns out I like the rain, too."

"That's good," I remarked. The engine revved to life, growling. Barkly is intent on the road.

Kate exhales tiredly, eyes drooping, and I find myself worn too. Sometimes, I have recently found, parties can be very wearisome.

Kate's head lolls against my shoulder, but she immediately straitens. "I'm sorry," she murmurs. I squeeze her hand in response. Once again, sleep threatens to overwhelm her, and Kate's temple falls to my shoulder. She does not bother to sit up this time.

I lean down and kiss her head, her hair. "I'll wake you up when we're there."

"Mhm hm…"

I stretch out, lean back, and quietly listen to the _patter-patter _of rain drumming on the car hood. Sleep is a nice prospect, but I resist. I mustn't miss a moment of this peaceful perfection.

If I had it my way, Kate and I would stay like this. Forever, if such a thing were possible. Forever in perfection seemed a very fine idea, indeed.

**It was cute, but very satisfying. Hope you enjoyed! **

**I am thinking about doing Matt and Kate's first encounter with Miss Karr _from_ Miss Karr's point of view. Probably.  
**


	13. History Repeats Itself

**Again, SORRY. I haven't written in a while. We went on vacation for a week, where there was no internet access that was easily accessible.**

**Disclaimer: all is Kenneth Oppel's. **

The trees swayed in such a way that she wanted to capture them. Evelyn Karr stood near the back door that lead to her yard, frozen in an inner turmoil. Evelyn _wanted_ to paint something.

Atop her shoulder, perched the Javanese monkey that was Haiku. He chattered and warbled, encouraging her. Although Miss Karr would never admit it, Haiku did sometimes irk her just as much as he did other people. But Haiku was a person, not a pet. So his sly ways would just have to be endured. And he was not a human-person too, thank God for that.

Evelyn remembered giving up painting; she had done so both in regret, and spite. According to the class teacher, she was no good at it. _My cat would have done a better job_, he would say. Miss Karr did in fact own cats, though after this particular insult, she did not love them as she had before.

"Come along Haiku. I think I might be up for another go," she told the monkey.

Retreating into one of the deeper closets of her house, Miss Karr dug through the junk that littered and filled it. Perhaps she had never truly given up painting, because in that closet were about half a dozen painting canvases, put out of sight.

Collecting other items such as her easel and a paintbrush, Evelyn grimly trooped out into the backyard. Haiku had become overcrowded -the corner of the easel sticking into his ribcage- and hopped deftly to the jungle-like floor.

Evelyn would have had a lovely backyard, if it was not so overrun with animals. It could have been a zoo, for all anyone knew. Dogs and guinea pigs and rats, and yes, even cats capered about, completely at home.

Setting down the easel so that it faced to the back of the yard, Miss Karr cleared away a few stray animal cages in order to have a clear space to paint. Now, she only had to retrieve a chair, and her smock.

In the scrappy room that was used as the lounge, Miss Karr creakily lowered a nice armchair to the rug covered floor. Evelyn though it was a brilliant idea, hanging all the furniture by rope. She was not a "peoples person" and so this way, the message could get across quite quickly if Miss Karr did not like you. She would just leave the chairs dangling.

"Haiku," she said, calling the monkey to her side as she strode to the yard once more, " would you please retrieve my smock?" Anyone else would be surprised that Haiku did exactly as instructed.

The armchair was heavy, and had to be heaved to the spot under the arbutus tree. Haiku held out the shapeless, paint splattered smock, and made exited monkey-sounds.

Miss Karr tried to paint her backyard. After two minutes she was irked. The leaves look like bloated clovers. After five minutes she was deeply annoyed, because the sky was too dark. At about seven minutes, Haiku took off into the house. This only proved to provoke Miss Karr's temper even further. _What a worthless painting and what a worthless monkey!_ She sat back, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

Normally, Evelyn Karr was not one to give up. This would not be an exception; she would continue with the painting. It absorbed all her attention.

A bit of grass-green would go here, and maybe a little bright robin-red could be added to her bird there… Sometimes Evelyn would become frustrated again, but she continued on.

Out of nowhere, Haiku jumped to her shoulder, pointing back to the house. Feeling sorry she had thought ill of the monkey earlier, Miss Karr obliged him, and looked.

She stared; standing hesitantly on her porch was one young man and one young women. Startled and furious, Evelyn put down her paintbrush, stood up, and slammed her painting facedown on a table. This was the last straw.

The girl who must have been Kate de Vries whispered to the boy, Matt Cruse, worriedly, and he whispered back. Miss Karr stomped toward the house.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Miss Karr," he said, "my name's Matt Cruse and-"

"Yes, yes," Miss Karr interrupted with an impatient wave.

The girl cut in. "And I'm Kate de Vries. Mr. Otto Lunardi asked-"

"Parasitic little weevil," Miss Karr muttered darkly, remembering the man. _Parasitic little weevil._

Appearing to change tactics, Kate de Vries said, " That's a very fine Javanese monkey you have."

Miss Karr grunted. Perhaps this Miss de Vries was more agreeable than she first had thought. "You know your animals, I see. This is Haiku. I found him two years ago in a curiosity shop in Chinatown."

"Hello Haiku," they both chimed in at the same time. Evelyn was beginning to like them both. She could also tell that they knew each other outside of this mission to convert her into coming on this space expedition. They seemed at ease with each other.

"I'm sorry if we interrupted your painting," Matt Cruse said.

"It's nothing," she said, and then changed the subject. " Stand over there. In front of the backdrop." She wanted to see what reactions she could get out of them. Miss Karr had certainly been entertained by the story of Miss de Vries electrocuting the esteemed Sir Hugh Snuffler.

Mr. Cruse and Miss de Vries glanced at each other, and promptly did as they were told. Evelyn stooped to peer though one of her cameras, and then began tweaking the bamboo blinds, adjusting the light of the room.

"Miss Karr," Kate de Vries said, " I'm a huge admirer of you work. I particularly like-"

"I particularly like people who _don't _flatter," Miss Karr cut in, slightly irked. "I know why you're here. Now, stand close together." They both took a careful step towards each other. "Closer! You make a very handsome couple."

Miss de Vries cleared her throat. "We're not really a couple, Miss Karr. We're just-"

"Yes, yes," said the photographer impatiently. _You are making excuses, Miss de Vries. Which obviously means the two of you are sweethearts._ " Matt Cruse, point and stare off into the distance. You're contemplating a long and dangerous space voyage."

"Like this?" he asked, furrowing his brow, and pointed of into the backyard.

"And Miss de Vries," she instructed, "look longingly at Mr. Cruse. Goodness knows when you'll see that brave astralnaut again."

"I'm going with him, actually," she said, sounding put out. Miss Karr nearly cackled; this was great fun.

"Pretend you're not."

_Click_ went the camera.

"Now," Miss Karr said, " Miss de Vries, you are going to swoon, just like a heroine in a penny dreadful."

"I'm sure I've never _swooned_," Kate de Vries said indignantly. This was exactly as Miss Karr had pictured Kate to be like.

"Arm up, throw one hand across your brown, let's have that other hand clutching your heart. And, Matt Cruse, move close to catch her in your arms when she faints away completely."

Mr. Cruse was being amiable about it, though Miss de Vries was not. She did not seem to be enjoying herself in the least.

"Miss de Vries," Miss Karr chastised, looking up from her camera, " you are supposed to look distraught. That is not distraught. That's 'My tea is cold and is there no marmalade for my crumpet?' Can we have something a bit more hysterical, please."

"Think of Miss Simpkins," Mr. Cruse suggested. Both of them were horribly bad a hiding their secrets.

"Think," said Miss Karr, "how disappointed you'll be if I don't come on this space voyage."

Much to her delight, Kate de Vries wore a look of utter horror. If Miss Karr was not on the voyage, then Miss de Vries would have no chaperon, and therefore would not be allowed to go either.

Evelyn clicked the camera, taking a picture. "That was quite good."

"Miss Karr," Kate de Vries said, sounding a little desperate, "you really must come on the expedition. It's a historic moment for a our nation. Only you can capture it in words and pictures to show the world."

Miss Karr snorted. "Why bother with outer space? It can't be photographed."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, Miss Karr," Matt Cruse objected. "Didn't people once tell you the Canadian forest couldn't be photographed? But you showed them how wrong they were."

Beside him, Kate nodded eagerly. "And didn't you say recently, Miss Karr, that there was nothing more you wanted to photograph. Well, maybe not on earth. But outer space would present you with a new challenge to master!"

They were smart, and had her cornered. Miss Karr suspected that Miss de Vries had read some biography -_The Facinating Life of Evelyn Karr_- or some other nonsense of the sort . And she had probably forced Mr. Cruse to do so as well. Evelyn smiled faintly, but then hurriedly wiped it away. She quickly changed the subject once more.

"Matt Cruse, get down on one knee as if proposing to Miss de Vries."

"Is this really necessary?" he asked, looking uneasy. Evelyn almost felt bad for him. This did not seem to be a topic he took lightly.

"I pretended to swoon," Kate de Vries pointed out, giving Mr. Cruse a mischievous grin.

Perched atop one of the other cameras, Haiku scowled at him. He got down on one knee. Miss de Vries seemed to be enjoying this instance more than the last, for she peered down at Mr. Cruse in satisfaction.

"Look her right in the eye, Matt Cruse!" the photographer instructed. "This one's going to take some convincing."

"This is great fun," said Kate de Vries.

"Take her hand, Mr. Cruse. That's it. Now look at her beseechingly. Very good. Now, Miss de Vries, what would you say to this fellow?"

She looked down at Matt Cruse with a glacial stare.

_Click_, the camera went.

"You'll have a battle getting a yes form her," Miss Karr said. This time she could not help herself and cackled.

"It won't be a battle at all," Miss de Vries said breezily. "I've decided I'm never going to marry."

Mr. Cruse laughed nervously.

This conversation was taking an unexpected turn. Miss Karr felt a flare of sadness. This predicament was nothing new to her. It took her back to when she was young and beautiful. Evelyn was reminded of what had happened to her years ago. Nearly exactly what was occurring with this young couple before her. They were hopelessly in love with each other, and hopelessly oblivious.

Kate turned to Mr. Cruse. "You think I'm joking, Mr. Cruse? I've been thinking about this a great deal."

"Is that right, Miss de Vries?" he replied, keeping the polite tone in his voice. He glanced over at Miss Karr awkwardly. Evelyn managed to glue an amused expression to her face.

"Absolutely," said Miss de Vries. "I reject the whole institution of marriage. Did you know, not so long ago women were considered the legal _property_ of their husbands. Like a comfy armchair, or a _rug_."

"That's changed," Mr. Cruse pointed out.

"In the letter of the law. But once a woman marries, she's just a wife. I'd cease to be my own person."

"I can't see you being anyone's person but your own, Miss de Vries," he said, giving what looked like an attempt at a pleasant laugh.

"Men always make all sorts of promises," Kate de Vries went on, "but once they're married, they expect the woman to stay at home and cook and fetch their slippers and pass them their pipe…"

"Not all men smoke pipes," Matt said, probably referring to himself.

"There's too much I want to achieve," she said. "It's hard enough as a women. As a wife it's completely impossible. Miss Karr, what would you say on this matter? You've achieved great things."

Miss Karr nodded, looking amused. _Let them find their own way. _"I doubt any man would have allowed me to work and live the way I have."

"Precisely," Kate agreed. "I mean to live my life on my own terms! I won't marry."

"I'll come."

Both Miss de Vries and Mr. Cruse looked at her in confusion.

She had been intrigued by the sound of these two, even when it was Otto Lunardi telling the tale. Matt Cruse, pirate fighter, and Kate de Vries, scientist and women activist. They had proved to be just as interesting as they sounded, and more.

"To outer space," Miss Karr confirmed. "I'll come on your expedition."

"You will?" Matt said.

"You've piqued my interest. And you're right. What a challenge to capture outer space in words and pictures. I wouldn't miss it, especially not with you two aboard."

Perhaps, while they were all confined to one ship together, she would give Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries a push in the right direction. Towards each other. To stop them from making the same decision she had. They belonged to each other fully.

"What wonderful news, Miss Karr!" exclaimed Kate. "Thank you so much!"

"I have one condition," Miss Karr said. "Haiku comes too." He would have such a wonderful time in outer space, much more than any human could.

"I'm sure that won't present a problem," Kate said, not giving a moments hesitation.

"Good," the photographer said. "Now, go outside and tell Mr. Lunardi I wont set my guinea pigs on him. I'll just need a moment to get Haiku changed and into his pram, and then I'll take you all to lunch at the Empress."

"Thank you Miss Karr," Matt Cruse said, and he and Miss de Vries left for the front door.

**********

Clothing Haiku in a hansom monkey-tux in her bedroom, Evelyn Karr looked down at her monkey.

"What do you think? Outer space seems an exciting prospect to me."

**I like this one. I wasn't extremely silly, nor super serious. **

**Thank you, all reviewers, so much! **

**_"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone._  
**


	14. Revealing Important Secrets

**This is from Airborn. Pretty much everything belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

It was half past ten, and Kate de Vries was waiting at the grand piano in the starboard lounge of the _Aurora_. Scattered about the room, other passengers reclined in chairs, full of breakfast. None of them seemed at all interested in the tour; perhaps they had been on other airships that had done the tour also -they might have done it already. Or perhaps they were just too lazy to sit up off their fat rear ends, not at all curious about the ship. Oh well, Kate would just have to ask more questions.

From through the door walked the young man who had carried their luggage and took them to their rooms. Mr. Matt Cruse, no more than sixteen years old. He sported an ironed white shirt and a black jacket. His dark hair was smoothed down nicely.

At the moment, Marjorie, Kate's chaperon was sleeping soundly in their stateroom. She had been complaining of tropical headache. Not feeling obligated to disturb her peaceful slumber, Kate had left a note explaining where she was. Best to keep her unworried.

"Is the tour still on?" Kate asked. "I seem to be the only one."

His eyes strayed around the room, looking for signs of life. The other passengers may as well have been sleeping considering the way they hardly moved. Actually, some had drifted off...

"Yes," he said, turning his attention back to his client. "Of course I'll be offering the tour. Is Miss Simpkins-"

"She's out cold," Kate said, giving a small smile. It was much better that way. "Right after breakfast she said she had a splitting headache and needed to lie down."

"Very good then."

After waiting a few minutes, making sure none of the other passengers cared to join the tour, they set off, just the two of them. Matt looked a tinge sour, and Kate wondered if anything had happened.

Stopping, he explained that they were on A-Deck, and how they were leaving North America and taking a route over the Pacificus. They strolled through the writing and reading room, light spilling through the lounge windows. Wicker furniture and little desks with blotters and inkwells and specialty _Aurora_ stationary were fashionably scattered about. After that, there was the first-class reception room, where apparently guests could gather and order drinks before and after meals.

Clattering could be heard from the dining room, which seemed to be being prepared for lunch. As they passed, Kate saw a crewmember wink at Matt. Mr. Cruse was lucky, for he seemed to fit in perfectly here. She could tell that he loved his work. Kate _knew_ what she wanted to do, but it was just incredibly difficult to get.

Kate paid apt attention to the young cabin boy, he spoke of the ship's history, technical details, and lore. It was all incredibly interesting and Kate simply could not imagine why non of the other passengers were even a little interested.

"What a grand ship this is," she said.

Matt took her to the gymnasium, which sported exercise camels, rowing machines, and other advanced training devices meant to strengthen ones muscles. It did not seem to be overly used, though this morning there were a few younger men, dressed in striped exercise kits. They did sit-ups and crunches and knee bends, grunting unattractive manly encouragements to each other.

Further along, they came to the cinema, which Mr. Cruse said to be rare on airships. Lumiere's latest epic was on show, _Gilgamesh_. Matt gestured for Kate to peek her head past the velvet curtain.

"I shall have to ask Miss Simpkins to accompany me to that later," she said. "It seems very exciting.

At the end of A-Deck was the smoking room. Matt opened the padded leather door and winced at the pall of cigar fumes. He must have disliked the smell as much as Kate did.

"Would you care to step inside?" he asked politely.

"No, thank you," Kate replied, trying to keep from gagging.

"There are some very fine Deppressionist paintings on display."

"I can live without those."

Past the smoking room door, he lead her down the grand staircase to B-Deck. The lounge and reception rooms were much the same as the ones on A-Deck, though not as large or lavish. There was also the officer's and crew's mess. After that, Matt took a ring of keys from his pocket and unlocked a door that lead to the rest of the ship.

He lead Kate along a catwalk, heading aft. "If you want to move on, miss, seeing you've experienced this part of the ship," he asked, "we most certainly can."

"That's alright. I'd very much like to hear what you have to say," she assured him. She listened with enthusiasm as he pointed out the seemingly countless tanks of ballast and water that lined the ship.

What caught Kate's attention were the giant cells that hung shimmering just above their heads. There must have been at least twenty.

"They're beautiful," she exclaimed. "What are they made of?"

"It's called goldbeater's skin." _Wonderful!_

"That's a wonderful name."

He smiled. " It's membrane from cows' intestines, actually. Specially treated to make it impermeable to gas."

Kate was not revolted in the slightest. "It must have taken a great many cows," she commented solemnly. They had given their lives for the sake of this ship. Or rather, their lives had been taken for the sake of this ship. "How many gas cells are there?"

"Twenty." Only twenty?

"They really are huge," she said. Then, sniffing, asked, "Is that mangoes?"

"You've got a good nose, miss," Matt said, and Kate glowed at his complement. "That's the hydrium itself. You can always smell it very faintly, but if it gets any stronger, you know there's a leak somewhere. In the control car, there's a special board that tells you the pressure of all the gas cells. But the sailmakers' noses are even more sensitive. They patrol the corridors and shafts twenty-four hours a day to make sure every square foot of sail is shipshape. Look."

He pointed up through a swath of steel beams and wires.

"That's the axial catwalk up there- do you see it? It runs directly overhead the keel catwalk, right through the ships center, form her nose all the way back to her tail. The gas cells hang past it on both sides, like walls. It's a bit like walking along a tunnel up there."

"And higher still," Kate asked, interested.

"The gas cells go all the way to the top, and there are vents to the outside, in case we need to vent some hydrium."

"Why would you need to do that?"

"Well, either to lose some altitude or because we're beyond pressure height."

"What's that?"

"Pressure height? Oh, the higher we get, the lower the outside air pressure, so beyond a certain height, the hydrium is at a higher pressure than the air."

"Ah, so the hydrium would expand," Kate said, understanding. It was all very intriguing, and Matt seemed to know all about it.

"Yes, which would rupture the gas cells, so we sometimes have to vent some."

"And the outside of the ship, what's it made of?"

"Fabric, stretched tight across the alumiron skeleton."

Because that wasn't at all disconcerting. "Fabric? That's all?"

"Cotton actually. But it's been specially treated so it's waterproof and fireproof too.

"That's reassuring, I suppose. And where does that go?" she asked pointing to a ladder off to the right.

"The axial catwalk," he told her. "There are three ladders that go up. And from there, you've got ladders to the crow's nests, one fore, one aft."

"Really?" Kate said, intrigued. "What a view that must be." If only she could get up there, perhaps she may see whatever it was her grandfather had.

"Especially on a clear night, with the stars and all."

"You must know all their names by now."

He laughed a wonderful laugh. "Maybe so."

"Can we go up?"

"Afraid not, miss. It's crew only up there."

"Oh." Her spirits sunk to the floor.

"Are those the engines?" Kate asked, tying to divert the conversation, as the sound of propellers became loud.

Matt nodded. "You probably saw them when you boarded. There's two on either side. I'll show you." He turned off, and at the end of the passageway, Kate could see a small rectangle of blue sky and sea. A ladder with railing led down from the Aurora's hatchway.

"Very noisy!" Kate shouted to Matt.

"Imagine working inside," he hollered back. "The machinists have special leather helmets to block the sound." He looked as if to add something else, but decided against it.

"It looks like it could just snap off," Kate remarked as they walked away from the engine and it's noisy drone.

"The engine cars are welded on," he said, shrugging, "as much a part of Aurora as what we're standing on."

"I won't think about that too much," Kate said, amazed by his nonchalant attitude. "It doesn't bother you at all does it! You seem born to this."

"You're right there- I was born on an airship."

Kate's eyes widened visibly, delighted. She liked how easily they seemed to talk. Perhaps it was how close in age they were.

"You weren't," she exclaimed. "You're pulling my leg!"

"I'm not," he assured her, smiling. "My parents came over from Europe during the Great Immigration. Not on a ship like this, mind you. A freighter it was, all of us crammed in one atop another. My mother was pregnant, but I wasn't due for another month, so they thought it was safe. But I came early, halfway over the Atlanticus."

"Your poor mother," Kate said. "Was she alright?"

"She was, lucky for her. And I was too. One of the other passengers was a midwife and another a medical student, and together they managed things. Tiny I was, light as a feather."

"And you've been aloft ever since?" she asked, enthralled.

"Well, only the last three years, really. But I grew up hearing all about it from my father. When we got to North America, it was hard for him to find work. We went all the way across the country till we landed in Lionsgate City, and he got a job with the Lunardi line, started out on one of their cargo ships."

"Oh," said Kate. "But he must've been away a great deal."

'He was. But he wrote us, and on shore leave he would be home with use. And he'd tell stories."

"Like what?"

Matt took a deep breath. "He went everywhere. Saw all the wonders of the world it seemed. All I could think about when he came home was how much I wished I could go away with him."

"He must've been a good storyteller." _Just like grandfather_.

"A grand one."

"My parents weren't much for stories," Kate said. "I got all mine form books. And my grandfather. He told me stories when I was little, made-up ones when I was young and then real ones when I got older. He was a traveler too."

Kate was surprised with herself, telling this boy her secrets. He had told her so much, though, and it didn't feel wrong, exactly.

"You parents aren't?"

"No. They gave me this trip as a birthday present. But they were both busy, so they sent Miss Simpkins along with me. Aren't I lucky?" she said, sounding cheerfully sarcastic.

"She seems very dedicated."

"Yes, she'll make a dictator a fine wife one day."

He laughed again.

"Mercifully, she does sleep a lot. The whole thing's ridiculous anyway. Not that I needed a chaperon. What could happen to me on an airship? And I'm only I Sydney two weeks before I come back home."

Kate was not at all happy with these arrangements. She'd much rather be rid of her family and all chaperons for at least a while. She also wanted to last the tour out, just to see if Matt Cruse could enlighten her on the ballooning accident of her grandfather.

"Tell me," she asked, "at what altitude does the _Aurora_ sail?"

"Varies, miss. Right now we're cruising at six hundred fifty feet."

"And will we keep to that for the entire crossing?"

"If the winds hold. We might climb higher if the currents are more favorable elsewhere."

"How high?"

"As much as four thousand feet. But the captain likes to fly so the passengers have a view."

The information processed through Kate's mind. Before this trip, she had read up on airships and their functions. How they worked. She desperately hoped she might see what grandpa saw.

"And our speed?" she protested.

"Seventy-five miles an hour when I last checked."

Matt seemed to be surprised. He must not get so many inquisitive passengers. Kate compared all this new information to the position her grandfather was found.

"Does the ship always follow the some route to Sydney? More or less?"

"We only shift for winds or storm fronts," he told her.

"You needn't worry, miss," he added. " The Aurora's as fine a ship as sails the skies. We've circled the globe a thousand time without mishap."

She looked up at him in surprise. Of course, though, fear of flying would be a reasonable answer to where all of her questions were coming from. Kate was sure he could never guess the truth of the matter.

"Oh, no. I'm not worried. Just curious. But the ship's course is essentially the same?" One or two more questions couldn't hurt.

"Well, it varies quite a lot, actually."

She nodded thoughtfully. There was a chance.

"Is there something particular you're anxious to see, miss?" he asked politely.

Kate decided to take a chance. For when she looked into the face of Matt Cruse, what she saw was an open and honest and plainly _good_ person. No matter how much her brain told her not to reveal her secret, her heart could not help but to trust him.

She looked down at the floor, not trusting her eyes. "Were you aboard the Aurora last year, about this time, when she rescued a damaged balloon?"

He seemed suspicious, but curious. "I spotted it on my watch."

Kate started with hope. Touching her hand to his, she asked, "You were the first to see it? From the crow's nest?"

Mercifully, he asked no questions, and only told her his story. Matt spoke of how _he _had been the one to swing across the open ocean and hook the balloon and cut it's flight lines.

"You were the one who jumped aboard?"

He nodded.

"The cabin boy?" she asked, making sure.

He bristled a bit, and his face cooled. "The captain asked me, so I did it. He knew I could do it."

"You're very brave Mr. Matt Cruse." Kate was glad, that it had been this person who had saved her grandfather.

His faced warmed, embarrassed. "Not brave, miss," he corrected humbly. "It was no hardship for me. I have no fear of heights."

"In the report, they just said it was 'a crew member.' They didn't give your name."

"You read about me in the newspaper?" he asked.

"No, in the Sky Guard report."

He must have wondered why on earth she had been reading special reports from the Sky Guard.

"The man in the balloon," she said, "was my grandfather."

"Oh." Kate could tell by his eyes he was apologetic, perhaps for showing off his story so proudly. Though he did have every right to, he just hadn't known.

"I'm very sorry, miss."

"Thank you," she said, "for helping him."

"I wished we'd found him sooner."

"They said he had a heart attack."

"That's what Doc Halliday thought. When I first saw him he was unconscious, fallen on the floor of the gondola." He hesitated, and Kate wasn't sure or not she wanted to hear the rest. But she nodded for him to continue anyways. "Anyway, we got him inside and took him to the infirmary, and the doctor tended to him. He woke up for a bit."

"Did he speak to you?"

"Yes but he seemed confused."

"What did he say?"

"Well, I guess he thought he'd seen something." Matt's eyes clouded over a bit, as if he could hear her grandfather's voice once more. "He asked me if I'd seen them too."

Kate was not surprised at all by this. But the more she heard, the more saddened she felt. This was exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was still hard.

"And what did you tell him?"

"I lied and said yes. I didn't even know what he was talking about. Some kind of winged creature, I gather. He said they were beautiful. Then he said" -he shivered- "He said, 'Kate would've love them.'"

Kate couldn't help it, and tears spilled silently from her eyes. She had loved her grandfather dearly, and knowing some of his last words reduced her to crying in front of somebody she hardly even knew.

"You're his Kate."

"Who else?" she said, overcoming her tears and wiping them from her face.

"It seemed to calm him down a bit, me saying I'd seen them too. But then he just sort of looked at me hard, like he knew I was lying. And he told me so. And that started him coughing again. I guess it wasn't long after that he died. After that the captain took care of things, contacted all the proper authorities and so forth."

"Thank you for telling me," Kate said, and she meant it.

Kate felt drained, feeling tired enough to lie down and fall asleep. Matt looked wrung out too.

They came to the end of the tour, and Matt led her back through the B-Deck door and into the lounge. At the base of the grand staircase, he asked her, "Do you know what it was your grandfather was talking about?"

Kate nodded, to tired to keep more secrets. "That's why I'm here. To see what he saw."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, Kate could say no more, for Miss Simpkins was walking their way.

"Kate, you gave me the worst fright!"

Kate rolled her eyes before facing the chaperon directly.

"I'm sorry Marjorie, but you were sound asleep, and I didn't have the heart to wake you. I thought I'd just go on the tour myself."

And that, as it happened, was the bomb. Miss Simpkins looked from Kate to Matt.

"This is the tour? Just you and… him."

Kate's anger flared for Marjorie's distainful attitude. There was nothing at all wrong with Matt, he was the perfect gentleman.

"That's right, Marjorie. He _is _the tour guide, after all."

"Well, I can only say it's most inappropriate. Most Inappropriate indeed. Your parents will not be pleased to hear of it."

"Your quite right," Kate said indignantly. "They'll be most distressed that their trusted chaperon fell asleep and left their little baby girl helpless." Kate tilted up her chin, and her nostrils narrowed. This seemed to put the chaperon in her place- or the place Kate wanted her in. Miss Simpkins patted her hair, and took quick breaths of air.

Matt appeared as if he was about to depart, so Kate graciously thanked him. "Thank you so much. I do hope we get a chance to talk some more."

Marjorie sniffed disdainfully. Matt smiled his wonderful smile and left for the crew quarters.

**Whoo, that was a long one. **

**It's kinda funny, though, I was looking through _Airborn_ and saw, on pg. 123 of my book, the letter to Kate. The return letter to the one that she sent to try and convince people that cloud cats existed. Guess who the reply letter was written by? Sir Hugh Snuffler. I thought that was funny- I hadn't noticed before!**

**But, anyways, hoped you enjoyed! Sorry if it got too long or boring...  
**


	15. Fear Training

**All right, here this is. Anything from Starclimber belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

"What the hell is that?" Tobias asked, gazing upwards.

Hovering at what must have been a hundred feet was a metal platform, held aloft with a hydrium balloon hitched to each of four corners. Nets were strung up below it.

"This is Altitude Familiarization," Eriksson said. Nobody would have been surprised if he had started jumping up and down with glee.

Tobias' stomach dropped like a metal weight to his toes. There was a wispy rope ladder dangling from the underside of the platform.

"You want us to climb up there?" he muttered, feeling queasy.

"For starters," said Eriksson. "Let's go, gents, one at a time. Douglas, you're first, you lucky devil. Further instructions when you're topside! The rest of you form a line. No pushing. Everyone gets a turn, I promise."

Matt Cruse got second in line, and such as any self-respecting man would do, Tobias stepped into third. Under the shadow of the ominous platform, Tobias gazed as Douglas began climbing purposefully upwards.

"You do this all the time, I suppose," he said to Matt with a low voice, not wanting anyone else to hear.

"Are you afraid of heights?" he whispered back.

"Not until now," Tobias muttered, dread filling his stomach. "What're we supposed to do when we get up there?"

Cruse shook his head, shrugging.

Douglas was about halfway up the ladder now, swinging back and forth with every step. Nothing tethered the ladder to the ground, so it wobbled and shook. He seemed to be doing all right, only faltering after a wary glance down.

"Cruse, you're next," Eriksson barked.

Tobias bit his lip, and watched Matt's steady hands grasp the rope and start up. Jealous of his confidence, Tobias looked further up the ladder to just catch Douglas clamber through the platforms underside.

"Head on up, Blanchard!" said Eriksson. Tobias jumped, startled.

Breathing deeply, Tobias clutched the ladder and doggedly started to haul himself up. He stared straight ahead.

A cry of pure terror rang through the coliseum, and Tobias' eyes automatically flicked to their source. He saw Douglas plunge earthward, arms and legs flailing in panic.

Tobias stopped climbing, frozen. No more than twenty feet from his doomed fate, Douglas miraculously slowed, hovered for no more than a second, and then bounced hazardously back up. With a slim cord trailing from his ankles, Douglas soared back to the platform halfway. After bouncing a few more times, he was gently lowered to the ground.

Tobias didn't bother to see what happened to Douglas afterward. The man could be thrown to the dogs, and Tobias could not have truly made himself care.

Gritting his teeth, he climbed once more. Tobias imagined himself in the water, being hauled back to the surface by the attendant crew. That was a safe place to be.

Only a minute later, Tobias heard another shout ring. This one, though, was not a shout of fear, but instead a whoop of delight. Tobias' eyes were once again pried form the ladder to watch Matt land dive. He soared, and Tobias half expected him not to land at all, but rather fly onwards.

Tobias relaxed his body as best he could, and as quickly as possible hauled himself up the remainder of the ladder.

His fingers touched cold metal, and he was up.

Half the battle was fought.

Maybe one fourth.

"Good morning, Mr. Blanchard. A fine day out today, is it not?" came a kind voice from above. Tobias stood up and came face to face to Captain Walken.

"I wouldn't think so, sir." Tobias was surprised the captain knew his name at all.

"Good, good. Now, Hugo and Walter will rig you up so you can do a bit of land diving. How's that sound, Mr. Blanchard?" Captain Walken asked.

Tobias managed a weak smile, and replied, " Yes, sir."

Two assistants quickly fastened the elastic rope to his ankles.

"Take a go at this, Mr. Blanchard. A bit of a puzzle solving on the way down," the captain said, tossing a cube to Tobias. "Just twist all the red squares so their all on the same side. It's simple enough. Good luck."

Tobias stepped to the near edge of the platform, and sheer drop beneath. "Jump on the count of five," one of the assistants instructed. "One… two… three… four-"

Waiting until the last possible second, Tobias closed his eyes and jumped straight forwards.

This time, instead of his stomach dropping, it soared oddly up. He squeezed his eyes shut, and clamped his jaw, not making a sound.

The wind whistled past for what seemed like forever, but at the same time ending quickly.

One bounce…two bounces…

Tobias had forgotten all about the puzzle until it slipped out of his hand.

Three bounces…four…

Done.

He opened his eyes reluctantly, face burning. What idiot _drops_ the stupid puzzle?

After being unhooked by the ground crew, Tobias stepped in behind Matt. He wouldn't have gotten back in line at all if not for a harsh shout from Eriksson.

"I didn't like that," he said.

"You did it, though," Matt told him, clapping Tobias on the shoulder.

"I dropped the stupid puzzle," Tobias muttered darkly.

"You'll get another shot at it."

Tobias grimaced. "Can't wait."

He listened to the next terrified scream fall earthwards.

_Bloody hell._

**Tah-dah! I hoped everyone was ready for something a tad different. I havn't done anything from Tobias' POV before, and I hope I did alright. **

**But... yeah... I actually don't have anything else to say. Bye.  
**


	16. Tale of Mishap

**I know it's been a few weeks, but here it is. I've been working on this for a while, and it is longer. Looooonger.**

**Whatever is from Starclimber, belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

Hands clasped together, Kate sat on the very edge of her plush chair, tensed.

"Kate, darling. How important is this expedition, really? This is a more pressing issue, surly."

Kate bristled, irked with her parents. "Yes, mother. The expedition is of _extreme _important standards. And not only to me, but to the scientific community of the world."

Silence clotted the parlor, but Kate was determined to remain silent. Both her parents looked hesitant, like they wanted to spit something out. Finally, her father did.

"Kate, your mother and I have been thinking about this a great deal, and we want you to marry."

Interesting. Though Kate wasn't really all that surprised. She knew her parents were trying to be discrete, but it was still plain enough what their intentions were after the fourth gentlemen visitor. Even at the garden party, Miss Simpkins had tipped Matt off to her parents' thoughts.

Smiling sweetly, trying to be innocent, Kate said, " Daddy, I don't think I'm really ready yet for marriage. Not yet."

Charles de Vries' eyes flashed dangerously. "I don't think you understand, Kate. Your mother and I have come to a decision for your marriage. Not a suggestion."

Kate's own defiance flared. Not under any circumstances did they have the right to force her to marry. They certainly wouldn't disown her, not for waiting to marry. If things got messier, though, the situation could go in a very different direction.

The jail incident must have sent Mr. and Mrs. de Vries' red alert system onto warning. After breaking a window -using a hammer- with Matt, they had both been taken to jail. Kate and Matt had discussed options over the other ladies chants.

At first Kate had though it would be perfectly acceptable for her father to spring both of them free, But then she had realized what a huge Pandora's box such a thing would open. Over a harsh argument, both she and Matt had been surprised by a bright flash. Of course there had to be a photographer taking photos for the next day's morning newspaper issue. Kate's parents did not trust her to marry smartly any longer.

" Honestly, daddy, Mr. Cruse was standing near one of the other ladies when he was arrested. On the other side of the street from me! It was an accident. The officer mistook him as being part of the movement, that's all," she explained patiently. This was the mock-up story she had concocted with Matt's help. It was the most they could get away with.

Charles narrowed his eyes. Kate's mother cut in. "Mr. James Sanderson seems to be the perfect gentleman." Her hint was all to obvious.

"He is a gentleman, mummy. But I don't want to marry him."

" Kate, if you want to go on the expedition, you don't have a choice," Charles stated bluntly. While her mother's comment was all too obvious, as well as pathetic, what Kate's father had said was all too clear.

Kate's stomach sunk to the ground. Her parents weren't stupid. Kate could have what she wanted, as long as they got what they wanted.

What could she do?

Nothing, really, was the answer.

She could only go on the expedition with parental approval, which would mean marrying George Sanderson. It would also mean hurting Matt. Or maybe Kate just hoped he would be hurt if she married some rich man her parents approved of. Though even the prospect of considering such a thing made Kate feel deceiving and dirty. It also made her heart ache.

"You have the night to make your decision, Kate. Think on it some. You can tell us what you want to do in the morning," her father said.

"Of course. Ponder it, darling. You'll make the right decision," her mother added.

Kate nodded curtly, excused herself, and went upstairs to prepare for bed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the fancy limo, Kate fidgeted with the band around her finger. It seemed to radiate an evil aurora of it's own. For the past day, it had weighted her hand down like a lead weight. It was not only the sense of dread and guilt that made the ring heavy, but there was also a very large, glittering diamond perched on it's peak. This did not help any seeing as Kate was trying to forget about it's existence.

Laying in her bed, Kate had made the inevitable decision. She had weighed the pros and cons of the situation. Cons: she would in fact be _engaged _to George Sanderson and she would have to act as if she _wanted_ to be engaged to George Sanderson. Pros: she would be on the first expedition to outer space, also meaning that she would be away from her potential-fiancé; George was a notorious flirt- he might do something naughty, taking care of the situation for her. The other major factor would be that there was a good chance Matt would be on the ship. That could be a pro or a con; he could forgive her. But he might not.

Kate also believed that no matter what happened, she would be able to make things right in the end. If she went on the expedition, got engaged to George Sanderson, and George remained the loyal to-be-husband back in Lionsgate City, Kate was sure that _she_ could set something up. Frame the fiancé, and act heartbroken, maybe?

The limo pulled up to the front entrance to the Hotel Lionsgate, and let the de Vries' out.

"Kate, stop fidgeting, please," her mother said.

Kate let her hands drop to her sides, but her mind could not stop it's frantic train of thought. Matt would be in that ballroom; would she be able to hide the ring? Should she hide the ring? She had worn white gloves, not wanting anyone to know of her engagement unless she decided it to be so. But would it be wrong if she did not tell Matt; would it make things worse if he accidentally figured it out?

Her parents strolled through the door, practicing their very best behavior. Kate followed behind, trying to appear civil and sociably acceptable.

The ballroom was large and grand. Reporters jostled with photographers and cameras as if they were in a giant mixing bowl. Gentlemen and ladies floated around the room in their evening finery. Kate guessed that none of them knew exactly what was going to happen, or be announced. If so, they were in for a surprise.

Kate spied Matt, dressed in his usual Academy uniform. Along with the other candidates, he looked incredibly nervous. All the candidates except for Mr. Chuck Shepherd. He looked his usual serious, unemotional self.

Without much thinking about it, Kate left her parents and weaved through the crowd towards Matt. What ever would happen, would happen.

"Hello," she said, still ill at ease. She did not risk offering her hand, in fear of him finding the ring. Her eyes scanned the ballroom quickly, to be sure they were not receiving too much attention. It was only Mr. and Mrs. de Vries who were watching, but with severe expressions.

"I tried to telephone," he said. "Is everything all right?"

Kate nodded curtly. "My parents are still letting me got. Sir John wrote me a blistering letter, though. Sounded like he came close to cutting me."

"He wasn't happy. Lunardi and Captain Walken spoke up for you."

"And you?"

"Of course I did!"

Kate took a deep breath and have him an apologetic smile, feeling guilty. "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble."

"They knew I was just the innocent victim of a criminal mastermind," he teased.

Kate tried her best to forget all about the ring and George Sanderson. It half worked, but the ring was still heavy on her finger.

"Do you know yet if you're going?"

Though Kate had confidence that he would be; how could he not be chosen?

Matt shook his head. "We all find out at the same time."

Before Kate could answer, an animal shriek from deep within the room rudely interrupted. In the crowd, Kate could just make out a small furry bundle dancing about atop somebody's shoulder.

"Is the Haiku?" Matt asked.

Kate squinted, craning her neck. "I think you're right, but… he's not on Miss Karr's shoulder."

Haiku's screeching grew all the louder as the crowd grew silent, trying to figure out what all the commotion was.

"Somebody get this bloody monkey off me!" roared a short, squat man.

"Leave him alone!" came Miss Evelyn Karr's powerful voice from near her monkey. "What are you doing to the poor animal?"

The crowd finally parted enough so that Kate and Matt could properly see. Haiku was having a sort of temper tantrum, beating a gentleman's head with his small fists.

"Isn't that-" Matt began, wonder coloring his voice.

"Yes," Kate said, aghast, "it's Sir Hugh Snuffler."

"Why is Haiku attacking him?"

"Animals despise Sir Hugh," Kate explained to him, recalling various past events.

"But he's a zoologist!"

Kate shrugged skeptically. "He can't walk down a street without a dog biting him or a bird defecating on his head. Even indoors he's not safe. I've seen it myself. He was giving a lecture once, and a skinny little rat ran across the stage, stopped, and then ran back and _hurled_ itself at his pant leg. On the of most amazing things I've ever seen. But what on earth is Sir Hugh doing _here_?"

Evelyn Karr moved towards Sir Hugh and plucked Haiku off his shoulder. Once the monkey was in her arms, his eyes became large and round and he was very quiet and meek, as if he had been the one beaten on the head.

"Madam," bellowed a disgruntled Sir Hugh, "your monkey has mussed me!"

"How dare you!" Miss Karr bellowed back. "You've obviously frightened him. Poor Haiku." she soothed the monkey. "There, now, the disagreeable mane's gone."

Kate remarked, " I hope Haiku's better behaved on the ship."

When Kate and Matt had reported to Mr. Lunardi that Haiku would be coming on the expedition, he hadn't been exceptionally pleased. Though, he hadn't dared argued with Miss Karr.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

------------------------------

Along with the rest of the crowd, Samuel Walken turned to the stage as Mr. Lunardi strode out, arms held high.

"Welcome, and thank you for coming at such short notice. For weeks the newspapers have carried rumors about an astralnaut training program in our city. I am happy to tell you the rumors are all true. The Lunardi Corporation, in partnership with the government of Canada, has created a vessel that will take us into the heavens. And we have just selected the astralnauts who will embark on the first-ever voyage to outer space!"

There was a stunned silence, and then the ballroom broke out into a thunderous applause.

Yesterday, Mr. Lunardi, Sir John, the team captains, and Samuel himself had set down to make the difficult decision of who would make it aboard their ship, the _Starclimber._

"This is history in the making, ladies and gentlemen," said Lunardi. "And I don't think I need remind you that others, all over the world, have been striving to do the same, so far without success. We Canadians shall be first!"

Otto Lunardi has always been one for taking pride in his country, it was no huge thing that he chose to show off.

Captain Walken hid a smile as he watched the French ambassador hiss something to his assistant. They both stood up and left the building.

"Aboard our ship," Lunardi continued, "we will be carrying some of the word's most eminent experts, whom I would like to introduce to you now. To chronicle our maiden voyage in words and picture is the celebrated Miss Evelyn Karr, please join us."

Samuel smiled upon seeing the wary crowd part, making sure to keep well clear of the monkey's reach. Miss Karr strode across the ballroom, and took her place on stage, holding a good few inches of height above Mr. Lunardi. Haiku bounced to the airship magnate's shoulder and shook his hand. The crowd's applause grew all the more enthusiastic.

"Now then," Mr. Lunardi said, "this expedition would have been quite impossible without the phenomenal scientific knowledge of Dr. Sergei Turgenev. He has, shall we say, paved the road to outer space for us, and he will serve aboard our ship as chief science officer. Dr. Turgenev, please."

The Russian scientist walked to the stage, leaning on his cane, and acknowledged the crowd with a weary wave of his hand.

"Of course," Mr. Lunardi went on from the stage, "we have little idea of what awaits us in outer space, but we must be prepared form extraterrestrial life. And so, to observe the flora and fauna of the heavenly ether, our expedition will be joined by the illustrious zoologist Sir Hugh Snuffler."

The captain's eyes landed on Sir Hugh, as he promptly made his way to the stage, looking as self-important as any one person can.

His gaze then drifted to the young Miss Kate de Vries, who was, not surprisingly, standing next to Mr. Matt Cruse. Miss de Vries' face was a tinge pale. They held a quick conversation before turning back to Mr. Lunardi. Samuel did the same.

"And working with Sir Hugh," he said, "will be Lionsgate City's very own Miss Kate de Vries, who specializes in high-altitude life-forms. Sir Hugh, Miss de Vries, if you'd be so good as to join our team onstage!"

The pair had not known that there would be two scientists on board. Mr. Lunardi had come up with the idea, thinking it brilliant to have such different people studying such similar genres aboard. But Miss de Vries and Sir Hugh did not look at all pleased to see each other in such close proximity. On stage, they stood on opposite sides of Mr. Lunardi.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Lunardi, "I present to you the specialist team aboard the first voyage to outer space!"

The whole crew smiled and waved as the cameras flashed. Samuel prepared himself to join the others on stage.

"And who," said Lunardi, "you're now wondering, will pilot these brilliant minds to outer space?"

The audience feel into a hushed silence, waiting for the answer to this rhetorical question.

"It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the commander of the expedition, as fine a pilot as ever sailed the sky, Captain Samuel Walken."

The _Aurora's_ former proud captain strolled to stand aside Otto Lunardi. He humbly let the applause die down. "These past two weeks," he said, "a group of one hundred truly exceptional gentlemen have been undergoing rigorous trials. What they endured would make you blood run cold! By the end we'd narrowed the candidates to twenty. But only three will be joining this first expedition."

All of these tensely waiting men were more than what Canada could have asked for to fly the first vessel into the ether. It was the size of the ship that had limited their choice.

"These then," captain Walken went on, "are the astralnauts who will form our crew. From Hlifax, Mr. Chuck Shepherd!"

Shepherd, fitting his serious attitude, did not whoop in joy, but rather strode purposefully to the stage. You would never believe he ever had a doubt he'd be chosen.

Camera bulbs exploded with loud cracks.

Chuck Shepherd had been the obvious choice; he was confident and good at what he did. One down, two more to go.

"From Victoria," Samuel said, looking at the next candidate "Mr. Tobias Blanchard!"

Matt shouted out from beside Mr. Blanchard, while Mr. Blanchard himself was speechless. Matt grabbed his shoulders, and gave him a push towards the stage.

Tobias Blanchard was on the expedition for his expertise underwater, perfect for the weightlessness of outer space.

Tobias walked to the stage, shaking everybody's hand.

"And finally," Captain Walken called out, "the last member of our crew-"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Lionsgate Cities own, Mr. Matt Cruse! _Kate could practically guess what the words that would come out of Captain Walken's mouth would be.

"From Saskatoon, Mr. Joshua Bronfman!"

Applause range out as Joshua Bronfman let out a whoop of delight, pumped his fist into the air, and jogged up to the stage.

Kate had to remind herself to smile and clap. _What?_

Her eyes swiftly picked out Matt from the crowd; he looked dazed, but clapped, wearing plastered-on a smile.

Kate stared hard at him, willing his eyes to meet hers. Matt must have been avoiding her gaze, though, for he did not look up.

He had not made it, as Kate had been sure he would. The ring on her hand weighed her down more than ever before. She had always expected the chance to make it up to Matt aboard ship. Now all that would happen would be that he would find out of the engagement while Kate was thousands of miles away. He would absolutely hate her, and she would never be forgiven.

A sense of hopelessness enveloped Kate; she had imagined all of the possible scenarios and this had not been one of them. She would be on a ship with a stuck-up know-it-all, a crazed monkey - who would probably take to attacking the know-it-all frequently- with his mistress, and a silent, intimidating man. There was Captain Walken, whom Kate trusted completely, and Tobias Blanchard, who Matt had seemed to be good friends with. A small consultation.

Yes, it was still a huge adventure waiting to happen, but all the adventures Kate had had so far were with Matt. Trapped in a hydrium pit by pirates, he had been the one to pull down her pants and float them to safety. Aboard a doomed ship lost to the heavens, Matt had been the one to come back for her when Hal Slater had suggested they abandon ship. Without Matt on this expedition, it would be miserable.

Photographers and reporters pressed in on the stage, bombarding the astralnauts and scientists with questions and flashbulbs. Kate craned her neck, and saw a grey Academy uniform making it's exit through the ballroom doors.

"Miss de Vries, how does it feel to be the first women zoologist to go to outer space?" one particularly annoying reporter asked, pushing a microphone into Kate's face.

"Wonderful," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go." She pushed past the microphone, and wove through the crowd.

"A few questions Miss de Vries?"

"Smile, Miss de Vries, this'll be on the front page!"

"Do you consider yourself and Sir Hugh to be friends, or scientific companions?"

"What do you think will be up there, Miss de Vries? Beasts, animals, nothing?"

Kate fought past them all, and emerged from the crowd. She could see Matt halfway across the lobby. She quickened her pace, and grabbed his arm from behind.

"I don't understand!" she said, as her turned. His eyes looked glazed. He did a good job at disguising his disappointment, but Kate knew him well enough to spot the streak of failure in his face. "How could you not be chosen!"

"I wasn't good enough," he said simply.

People had begun to file out through the lobby. Kate took Matt's hand and led him down a quiet hallway off to the right.

"They made a mistake," she said. "I'll talk to Mr. Lunardi-" She did not stop to think about how incredibly selfish she was being, but Matt did.

"You'll do no such thing. Those three will make excellent astralnauts."

"But… I'd never imagined you wouldn't be on the ship with me!" _Never._

"I'm sorry," he said. "I tried as hard as I could."

Kate took his hands in both of hers, cradling them- not thinking. "You'd be every bit as good as those three," she said.

He smiled at her loyalty, but it was halfhearted attempt. He had accepted the fact that he had been bested when Kate struggled against the very idea of it. Matt had always seemed so… invincible, almost. At the same time, though, his imperfections were part of who he was.

His fingers pressed against the hard metal of the ring. Kate froze.

How could she have been so stupid as to forget?

He touched it, and looked up into Kate's eyes. She stared back, knowing looking away would be worse. She said nothing, guilt scarring her face. A couple was walking down the hallway, and Matt must have not cared. He seized Kate's hand and peeled off the white glove, exposing the ring.

"What have you done?"

_What have I done?_

She swallowed, a flare of defiance springing forewords. She was going on the expedition.

"This," she said, "is my ticket to outer space."

His face cooled over, a stranger. He walked away.

Kate called out, but he did not stop.

She found the nearest women's restroom, tears already spilling over from the stress, the excitement, and the heartbreak.

--------------------------------------

Haiku bounced around the inside of the car, crazed with excitement.

"Miss, could you please calm your monkey? He is blocking my rearview mirror. Might cause accident!" the driver said.

"Of course sir," Miss Evelyn Karr said. "Haiku, get down from the ceiling, please. Or you won't go on the expedition at all."

The little Javanese monkey dropped lightly down onto his mistress's lap, pleading forgiveness in a chittering voice.

Evelyn did not speak anymore to her monkey, to be sure the driver would not be startled.

In a matter of hours Miss Karr and Haiku would be joining the rest of the expedition's crew to board ship. The night before had been exiting, but today would be even better.

Her traveling companions would be Sir Hugh Snuffler, Mr. Tobias Blanchard, Mr. Chuck Shepherd, Captain Samuel Walken, and Miss Kate de Vries. Mr. Matt Cruse had not been chosen as an astralnaut. Miss Karr did not think the voyage would be half as amusing without Mr. Cruse there, along with Miss de Vries.

The car pulled up, and Evelyn gazed at the fancy airship before her. Standing in front of the ship was Kate de Vries and who must have been her mother and father. Evelyn saw Mr. de Vries shake his daughter's hand, a stiff farewell seeing that young Miss de Vries was setting sale for a potentially dangerous voyage. Mrs. De Vries kissed her daughter on the check, her hands resting lightly on Kate's shoulders.

Another man standing next to Kate eagerly wrapped his arms around the young heiress and leaned in for a kiss on the mouth. Kate hastily deflected his kiss to her cheek. Ah, this must be Mr. James Sanderson- Miss de Vries' new fiancé. Perhaps it was good that Mr. Cruse had not made it on the expedition.

"Come along Haiku, if we do not introduce ourselves now, Mr. and Mrs. De Vries will be wondering who their daughter's chaperon will be," Miss Karr said, stepping out of the car. The monkey jumped to her shoulder, delighting in the new sights and smells.

"Mr. de Vries, Mrs. De Vries, it is a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Evelyn Karr, your daughter's… chaperon," Evelyn greeted, trying to be warm, not used to company. She did not quite like the idea of announcing herself as a _chaperon _either.

"Miss Karr, lovely to meet you," said Kate's mother.

"Charmed," said Kate's father. They both eyed Haiku.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Karr," Miss de Vries said, looking genially happy to have her _chaperon_ here.

"It's very nice meeting you Miss Karr," James Sanderson said, reminding the company that he was there. "I do hope you will look after my Kate well. We need her in one piece for the wedding."

Observant as Evelyn was, she just noticed a flash of annoyance dart through Kate's eyes. "A pleasure, Mr. Sanderson. Don't be worried, I'm sure there is not many places I could lose Miss de Vries on the ship."

"Very good, very good."

"Now, Miss Karr, all we ask is that you do keep an eye on Kate- she is one to get herself lost," Charles de Vries added.

"Father, I-"

Evelyn cut Kate off, "You have my word, Mr. de Vries, your daughter will be perfectly safe with me." She looked at Charles de Vries in such a way so that he did not dare argue.

"Yes, of course," he said, not looking her in the eyes.

Mrs. de Vries said nothing, though looked uncertain, and kept glancing at Haiku, who was gleefully chewing on Miss Karr's hat.

Everyone said their final farewells, and Evelyn saw James push something into his to-be wife's hands. The two ladies headed up the gangway. Kate was smiling.

"Exited, Mrs. de Vries?" Evelyn asked, amused at Kate's fidgeting hands.

"Terribly. I can't even imagine what will be up there," she said, indicating upwards, to outer space. "I can truly only hope there will be anything at all, though."

"Hope very hard, then. Extraterrestrial life would certainly put a spark in my article." Not that Miss Karr cared all too much. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check and make sure Haiku's pram is packed…"

"Haiku, apparently, did not care whether his pram was packed or not, for he hopped from his mistress's shoulders and went off to explore.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Kate's utter surprise, on her way to the lounge, she ran right into Matt Cruse. Her mouth nearly dropped open in astonishment.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Had he snuck onto the ship? Was he really that desperate?

"You don't sound very happy to see me."

_Happy_… lots of things could describe the jumble of emotions that made up what Kate was feeling right now. When she thought about it, Matt was _here_. Yes, he was happy. Even if he wasn't suppose to be here at all.

"But-" Kate argued.

"Bronfman broke his leg. I'm his replacement," he said.

"Matt, I'm so glad you're here."

"Are you?" he said coldly. His face was the same as when Kate had last seen Matt; hard, composed, and cool. "That was a touching send-off with your fiancé."

From around the corner, Kate heard Miss Karr's too-loud voice. On a split second decision, Kate grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him through a doorway into a dark room. Before he could do anything, Kate had slid her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers in a kiss. For a few moments, which was probably only a millisecond, Kate feared that he would not kiss her back. But his warm lips responded, Kate's tension released. Even if he would hate her forever, she got one more kiss.

Panting, she felt his hands push her away. He fumbled against the wall, and the lights came on. They were in a women's lavatory, ironically enough, but Kate did not care just then. Matt was glaring at her, anger burning in his eyes.

"After all your talk about never getting married," he spat, "you go and get engaged! How could you?"

"Listen to me," she whispered desperately. They had to keep this quiet, it was already an argument. A huge one. "This engagement does not mean a thing."

He have a bitter laugh. "Of course not. You've only promised yourself to be another man's wife."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, hating his mocking tone. "I scarcely know him. I have no intention of marrying him."

"Then why'd you get engaged?"

Finally, a chance to explain. Kate waggled her ring finger in his face. "It's obvious. I told you already. This is my ticket to outer space." She looked straight into his eyes. "I had no choice."

He snorted with contempt. "You have as much choice as anyone. More."

"Not after the jail incident."

"Whose fault was that?"

_True_. "I know." Kate nodded ruefully. "But after my father saw us together in the cell, and the photo in the newspaper… my parents don't trust me anymore. They think I'm going to ruin my chances of marrying well. They said I couldn't come unless I agreed to marry George Sanderson."

"It's James," I snapped.

Like he should be the one to care! "James. George. Whichever."

"So you have no intention of marrying him?" Matt demanded.

"None." _Of course not. How could I?_ "Matt, you know there's no one I care for more than you," she told him.

----------------

Haiku twittered by the entrance to a hallway off to his right.

"Well, I'm not sure I care for you anymore," came a voice from the hallway.

A man in a gray Academy uniform walked right past the monkey and into the lounge, with out even noticing his observer.

Curios, Haiku took a few steps into the hallway. A woman was leaning against the wall across from a lavatory, with her eyes closed, arms crossed over her chest.

Uninterested, the Javanese monkey went in search of his mistress in the lounge.

"Haiku, where in the world have you been?" Evelyn Karr scolded.

"Making trouble somewhere, no doubt," muttered a pudgy man with a type writer.

The man who had walked past Haiku smiled, and said, "Probably just exploring the ship. The _Bluenose _is a wonderful ship, Mr. Lunardi."

**I liked this one, cause I got to make up some stuff for fillers!**

**Number seventeen (SEVENTEEN!) will be the night Joshua Bronfman broke his leg. Thanks Smillie Myles for the idea.**

**Love you all.  
**


	17. A Drunken Frenzy

**I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this one this weekend. I did it, though. I splurged and put off studying for science until later. I know- I'll be paying the price soon enough.**

**All ideas from Starclimber belong to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

Laughs echoed, shouts boomed, and chatter bubbled. Joshua Bronfman's ears rang; but it wasn't a bad kind of ring. It was the ruckus-party-hoedown kind of _good _ring. Men and women -mostly men- sat around tables drinking wine and toasting… him. And Shepherd. And Blanchard. And even the science team. But most of all they were toasting Joshua.

His shoulder may as well have a bruise blotting the skin there tomorrow morning, from the countless claps on the shoulder he had received. Every time Joshua took a step, it happened either extraordinarily fast or extraordinarily slow. His fingers felt like inflated sausages and deft machines both at the same time. He noticed none of it, only the vibrating party life around him.

"Shepherd! Come over here, I need to TALK to you!" Bronfman called, or rather shouted, to Chuck Shepherd from across the room.

Shepherd's brows were narrowed. "What, Bronfman?"

"I want you to have a glass with me, Shepherd. We must toast! To OUTER SPACE!" Joshua said, though there was no glass in his hand to toast with.

"Bronfman, stop acting like a drunk child."

Joshua fell back into the nearest chair, hand clutching at his heart dramatically. He had failed to notice the sharp edge to his companion's voice. "You insult me, Shepherd! My dear friend, it PAINS me to end it like THIS!" In a drunken flourish, Joshua grabbed a dining fork and pointed it to Shepherds chest. "Ah ha!"

Face stony, Chuck Shepherd walked to another table.

The drunk, happy astralnaut did not let his mind linger on this betrayal. Instead, he too strode to another table to be lathered in praise and company.

Joshua soon found himself sitting beside the young scientist Kate de Vries and her parents. The group of three did not recall inviting this man to chat.

Trying to act wise and serious, Joshua said, "Outer space. Quite the adventure, if I don't say so myself. You agree, Miss de Pries?"

Kate scooted to the far end of her seat, to avoid Bronfman's alcohol-laden breath. "Yes, Mr. Bronfman. An adventure, indeed."

As he had failed to notice Shepherd's sharp tone, Joshua failed to notice Miss de _Pries'_ far off mood. She gazed off at the far wall, deep in a somber thought.

"I've an IDEA!" Bronfman suddenly blurted, seemingly out of nowhere. "You just wait and see. I am an ASTRALNAUT!"

Charles de Vries muttered, "Drunk fool."

Not listening, Joshua leapt up and grabbed the square, maroon seat cushion from the chair he had just evacuated. He wove hazardously between tables and guests and near ran up the hotel's grand staircase. He almost tripped.

"Just wait and see THIS, Blanchard!" Joshua yelled. Tobias Blanchard glanced up from the conversation he was having with Dr. Sergei Turgenev. His mouth dropped open for the second time that night.

Joshua set the seat cushion atop the staircase banister. He hauled himself up to sit next to it, and then shakily stood up, just barley balancing.

"Bronfman!" barked Chuck Shepherd. "Don't be a bloody fool!"

Just about everyone in the Lionsgate hotel ballroom was now staring at Joshua Bronfman, with their breaths held.

The wobbling drunkard stepped onto the cushion with exuberance. He bent his arms so his elbows pointed outward, like a surfer. But Joshua Bronfman was no surfer.

Nudging forward, Joshua took off with an unexpected speed.

Much to everyone's surprise and relief, Joshua did not fall off the banister.

Then the curve came.

--------------------------

Joshua's bleary eyes hesitantly opened. And then closed. The lights were awfully bright.

A throbbing headache pounded in his head. He moaned. Bloody hangover.

"Finally. I wasn't sure you'd be waken' up at all, Mr. Bronfman. Frightful fall you took there."

There was a pretty blond woman sitting beside Joshua's bed. She was in a white smock.

_Not a hangover? Fall?_

Joshua tried his eyes again, and saw a heavy cast that was wrapped around his right leg tightly.

Bloody hell, the expedition.

_Shit._

**Sorry for the cussing, but this _is_ teen-rated. Sorry if I scarred anyone for life, or anything.**

**This was a good one to write, I hoped everyone enjoyed greatly. **

**PS: My new favorite word is "uber." Like uber-fun, uber-cute, uber-everything. I want to spread the uberness.  
**


	18. Quiet in the Chaos

**Everything has been very, very busy the last two weeks. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. There was just no time.**

**So here's this, and actually there should be one more in the next few days. Soon.**

**All belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

A boy and a girl stumbled into a small clearing centered around a creek. They both collapsed and greedily sucked in water.

"Just a few minutes," said the boy, in a mere croak. His forehead rested against the ground and his body shook from exhaustion.

The girl leaned against one of the many nearby sheltering trees. Tears leaked from her eyes, starting slow but coming faster as the seconds dragged by.

Words began to flow along with the tears. She sobbed about how it was her fault that Bruce had been hurt and that they had been captured by the pirates. Her hands dragged over her sweat and tear stained face. Thick humidity hung over their heavy moods.

Pushing himself up, the boy grabbed for her hands, trying to calm her with words.

Naturally, the girl tugged her hands from his grasp and squeezed her eyes into crinkled slits. It was too much to face reality.

The boy leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

Their only company was a bird, in a nearby tree. Everything was quiet until the girl spoke. She had stopped crying and had opened her eyes.

"That kiss could get us both in a lot of trouble."

"More than what we're in?" he asked.

"Do it again."

He kissed her again, but for longer.

When the girl pulled her head back there was a smile on her lips. Her eyes wandered off into the trees.

"That was very nice," she said. "That was the second time I've been kissed."

"You've been kissed before?" the boy asked, jealousy apparent in his voice.

"Yes," she said, "just now by you, but I thought I'd count each time."

**I wasn't planning on doing this one, but I had started reading it and imagining what I would write. And Wah-Lah.**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews!  
**


	19. Alight

**Hee hee, I absolutely loved writing this. I got to be ubercreative.**

**All belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

"Monsieur Vlad, it appears that you have over-spread the sugar crust atop my crème brulee."

"Not at all, Mr. President. It is the exact right amount," assured Chef Vlad.

"Not for me, monsieur Vlad. I demand that you take some of it off."

Anger flickered in the chef's chest at this pesky annoyance. Not one person had the authority to say how a crème brulee was to be prepared. Except for he himself, of course. Not even the President of France had that authority.

"I believe, Mr. President, that it is time to light the crème on fire," loudly announced Chef Vlad.

"You do not listen to me, Vlad!" the President exclaimed.

Not noticing, or pretending not to notice the President, Chef Vlad continued.

"Oh, yes. Here is my lighter."

With an elegant flourish that only an experienced culinary artist can accomplish, Vlad Herzog swiftly light the President's elegant mustache on fire.

The body guards immediately leapt. Luckily, though, they were not reaching for Vlad, but for the water pitcher sitting at the center of the table. They hastily dumped the water, ice and all, into the face of France's most powerful man.

All hell seemed to explode. The President was perfectly alright, of course, but every man under his service felt the need to make sure he was not dead. And that his mustache was groomed.

Through the commotion, Chef Vlad decided to make a hasty departure. Nobody would see anything wrong about throwing him in jail for lighting the President on fire. The escape route was conveniently unguarded- all the guards were hovering about the President.

Vlad rushed home to pack his things, then traveled to the train station. Stepping across the street, he stopped, hearing someone calling out.

"Vlad? Vlad Herzog?"

Turning, Vlad found himself face to face with Otto Lunardi.

"It is just your luck we've bumped into each other, Mr. Vlad. I'd like to offer you a deal," he said.

**I particularly liked _culinary artist_. I'm so proud for thinking of that.**

**Thanks for the reviews, but please keep them coming... They make me feel awsome, and they make me feel like writing, too.**

**Constructive critisism is welcome as well. Promise I won't be offended.  
**


	20. A Bug for a Story

**A couple days ago I had an idea eSpLoSiOn!**

**This idea came from when Matt is at the de Vries' for the garden party and he imagines a small Kate poking at mangled bugs on the couch.**

**All belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

The small black bug crawled across the elaborate fabric of the couch. Kate's stubby finger reached out to poke at it, causing the bug to veer off course. Kate had a small magnifying glass that just fit her small hand. It had been a gift from her last birthday party.

Kate used the magnifying glass to inspect the black bug. It didn't seem entirely black, up close; there was tinge of green on it's back.

Putting down the magnifying glass, Kate picked up a borrowed spoon from the spoon cabinet. Using the end that had not been used to eat soup with, Kate poked the bug again. This time it flipped over, not seeming happy at all. Kate tried to count how many legs it had.

_One… two… three….. five… _She'd go with three and a bit.

One of the many doors to the living room creaked open. Jumping, Kate froze. If Mummy or Daddy caught her with a bug on the couch, she would surly not live to see the next day.

"Grandpa!" she squealed, recognizing his wrinkled hands. She would live to see tomorrow.

Kate bounced up and down on the couch. The bug bounced too. If the bug had been any bigger, the whole house would have heard it yell in fright. Kate, realizing the bug might very well be going into a coma from her ruthless shaking, quickly flipped it upright. It was alive.

"What are you doing here now, little missy?" scolded her Grandfather, Benjamin. But his eyes were sparkling.

"Look what I got!" crowed the very little, but very proud Kate.

Benjamin walked to the couch and leaned down to inspect the bug, much as Kate had previously.

"You know, I've seen a beetle that was much, much bigger. I'd say it was as big as that dining table over there," said her Grandpa, pointing.

Kate's eyes grew as big a saucers. "Really? It got that big? Tell me the story, Grandpa!"

"Perhaps I'll save that one for bedtime. Because I believe, young explorer, that you have discovered a brand new species of bug," he exclaimed. "What a thing… what a thing…"

Kate's face screwed up with a frown. Her mind was already diverted from the table-sized beetle. "Grandpa, what's a 'species'?"

The older man laughed out loud. "You have discovered a whole new _kind_ of bug, Kate."

"But Grandpa, why would it be in _our_ backyard? Isn't it special?"

"Very special, dear. It was in the backyard you say? Maybe that's where we should put it back," It would be best for both of them if Kate removed the bug from the couch.

Sticking out her lip, Kate whined, "I don't want to put it back nooow, Grandpa. I just got it!"

Kneeling down the old man took a hold of his granddaughter's hands and made a proposal. "I've got an idea. How about, if you put that bug back in the garden, I'll tell you my story."

"Will I get another story for bed?" asked little Kate, eyes narrowed. Her nostrils narrowed along with her eyes. She was suspicious- she would _not _miss her bedtime story.

"Of course."

"Alright!" Kate jumped up from the couch, slowed down for a millisecond to scoop up her bug, and ran for the garden.

Benjamin straightened, sat down on the couch, and awaited his granddaughter's return.

Out in the garden, Kate crouched down. "Bye bug," she said. "You'll have to be discovered by somebody else, 'cause I can't keep you."

Running back into the house, she shouted, "'Kay Grandpa, I let it go. Tell me the story now. _Please_?"

"Alight. Lets see… Do you remember last year, when I left for India?" he asked.

Kate's eyes had gone wide again- she loved listening to her Grandpa's voice. It was near enchanting. She nodded eagerly.

"Well, just a few days after I arrived in Bombay, a very famous city, I was out at the market, looking for some fresh Indian cuisine when right before my eyes lumbered a huge elephant!"

"You said it was a beetle!" Kate whined.

Benjamin gave his granddaughter a wide smile and winked. "Don't you worry. That part comes later."

**No bugs were harmed in the writing of this story. No need to fret.**

**Eeeep- this in numero 20!  
**


	21. Nobody Ever

**Sorry. It's been forever- and I really have only one excuse, and it's that I've been lazy.**

**I wasn't really going to right just now, but I did. I wrote something saddish because I just finished one of those incredibly sad/ happy books. (The Ghost's Child. Don't read it if you don't want to cry.)**

**Anyways, anything here from Airborn belongs to Kenneth Oppel. I do switch POW's once.  
**

Benjamin's mind is filled with flashes of white.

How he wished his granddaughter was here. Though she was young yet, Kate always understood his fascination with all things living and wild. Two peas in a pod, some would say. But it had always been completely out of the question. For once he had sided with her parents, insisting for Kate to stay home.

Flipping out his journal, Benjamin decided write another entry. He did not particularly want to, but Kate wouldn't be pleased if he stopped now.

_19:35_

_They're departing. Would like to follow, but they're too fast. With the tailwinds , I would estimate eighty knots. Amazing creatures._

_Gone now._

_Weather changing._

*****

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed. No wonder the creatures had departed. The _Endurance_ was not enduring well at all. No matter what Benjamin did in attempts to keep dry, the rain that came down like daggers sluiced through his jackets and tarps. He took shelter in his cabin. His body became cold and feverish and shivery.

Whenever the sun decided to shine past the clouds, Benjamin would fumble with his pencil and draw. There was writing that he could not remember having wrote. The words blurred and ran down the pages. He saw death herself flutter before his diseased eyes, along with monsters gross and disgusting in comparison to his lovely flying panthers.

Benjamin's tired body was finally forced into sleep.

*****

Groggily, his eyes blinked open. His body felt weak. But Benjamin Molly was no longer in limbo between the _Endurance_ and living nightmares. His fumbling fingers un-cinched his rucksack, searching for any remaining food. There were scraps.

Leaning against the side of the basket, Benjamin closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. When he was sick, he had seen death.

Now, when he opened his eyes, he saw salvation.

An airship.

Chance leaped in his heart and Benjamin scrambled for his journal. He only paused for a second to stare at the bizarre beings that were drawn there. Strange.

He wrote only one hurried sentence.

_Airship in the distance. Will signal for help._

*****

Then I saw it.

Or didn't see it. Because at first all I noticed was a blackness where stars should have been I raised my spyglass again and, with the help of the moon, caught a glimpse.

It was a hot air balloon, hanging there in the night sky.

Its running lights weren't on, which was odd. The balloon was higher than us by about a hundred feet, drifting off our starboard bow. The burner came on suddenly, jetting blue flame to heat to air in the balloon's envelope for a few seconds. But I couldn't see anyone at the controls. They must have been set on a clockwork timer. Nobody was moving around in the gondola. It was deep and wide, big enough for a kind of sleeping cabin on one side, and plenty of storage underneath. I couldn't ever recall seeing a balloon this far out. I lifted the speaking tube to my mouth.

"Crow's nest reporting."

*****

Once again, Benjamin woke disorientated. An icy hand laid atop his. But no, it was not the hand that was icy, but his own that was burning.

A cup of water was lifted to his lips, but Benjamin's throat was too stiff to swallow.

"Sorry sir," a voice said. A cloth mopped at his chin.

On closer inspection, Benjamin saw a young boy standing above, looking down at him.

"Did you see them?" he asked the boy. He was not surprised to find his voice scratchy.

"Who?"

"Sailing. All around," Benjamin said haltingly. Finely he was able to swallow. And cough. "Probably always. Been there. Only no one's. Ever. Seen them."

Benjamin struggled to sit up, though it did not really matter. He had no strength.

He swallowed again. "But you. Must've seen them."

"Yes," the boy said. "I saw them too."

"Good." Relief washed away his worry- somebody else knew. He could tell Kate. "Beautiful creatures," he said, smiling and remembering. "They were. Beautiful."

"Yes," said the boy.

Benjamin coughed heavily again.

"I'll get the doctor for you, sir."

Benjamin's hand shot out to catch the boys arm, before he could leave. "Kate. Would've loved them… Don't you. Think?"

"I think so," he said.

_Everything is alright, now._

The boy's eyes flickered with. Guilt.

Disgust filled Benjamin's thoughts. "You never. Saw them."

His whole body started to shake of anger and of sickness. Coughs and gasps tossed him over.

Benjamin could not tell that the doctor replaced the boy by his side. His fevered mind could only think of how nobody would ever see those flying creatures again. No. Flashes. White. It wasn't even that nobody would ever see them, though.

Kate. Never would. See.

**I promise I will try to post another before I leave for vacation. That means I've got about a week and a half...**

**I hoped you liked it, though some of it I found harder to write... for some reason or another.**

**Thanks for all the reviews!  
**


	22. At the Moment

**Here it is, my story before vacation. Maybe I'll even manage to do another.**

**Everything pretty much belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

"I'm sorry Miss de Vries, but there isn't anything you can do at the moment."

When Matt had told Kate that there was no way for her to help she had overreacted a little more than necessary. When something was wrong- and the cable not being fully un-spooled _was _a problem- Kate was used to doing something about it. When her grandfather had died, she found what he had seen. She was engaged to a rich _gentlemen_; and that would be fixed once they had landed.

Though that was the issue, it wasn't _once _they landed, it was _if_ they landed.

Along with these worries, Matt was now out on his first space walk. Kate told herself not to worry, but she couldn't help but remember the time he'd told her about how his umbilicus cord had snapped underwater. There would be much less of a chance of getting back to the ship now that they were in outer space.

Kate knew that the best thing she could do was to busy her hands. She had been meaning to take a closer look at the astral rock, and this was as good a time as any. She wrote down everything about it's appearance in a notebook she had brought along. Nothing had happened when she had tried to crack it open. The only thing left to really do was to make a slide.

While Kate was swabbing the space rock with a wet brush, she heard footsteps, but decided not to turn.

It was Captain Walken's voice that identified her visitor. "You're hard at work, Miss de Vries," he said.

Kate looked up. Matt was also with him. "Well, there's not much point sitting around worrying." This had been her solution. "How was your first space walk?" she asked Matt politely.

He looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, it was-"

"Excellent," said Captain Walken. "I couldn't ask for a better team of astralnauts."

There was a question Kate had been wanting to ask, though she figured that most of the crew would just say a jolly _don't you worry, Miss._ She did trust Captain Walken- but it still was his job to maintain order, even if it meant lying. Kate asked anyways.

"What are our chances of surviving this?" she asked. "Please be honest."

"Our chances our very good," said the captain. "Very good indeed."

She studied Matt's face- for she knew it better than the captain's. He did a good job of keeping a bland expression, though Kate could see the heavy aura of worry, in the way he actually _tried_ to seem as if everything would be fine.

"What exactly are you doing, Miss de Vries?" he asked.

"Just preparing some slides," she said, returning to the wet brush. She daubed it on a glass plate, carefully set a thinner piece of glass on top, and slid it beneath the microscope lens.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got to return to the bridge," Captain Walken said. "Mr. Cruse, please see if you can find some more toggle switches and indicator lights down here for the mock-up console. Mr. Blanchard said we were still short."

Kate bent over the microscope, hoping to find something, anything of interest.

At first, the image was fuzzy, so Kate adjusted the focus knobs.

Matt spoke, but Kate was not quite sure what he had said.

They looked like small jewels. Blue and purple. Small _moving_ jewels.

The words were out of her mouth before she looked up. "Get Sir Hugh."

"What?" he said.

This would show that snobby ass! He needed to see it- because Kate was sure she was right. She twisted around from where she was strapped to the bench. Her hands touched Matt's chest and pushed. "Go get Sir Hugh! Hurry!"

In seconds he was gone.

But now there was no one to show it to. The air pressure- let alone the _air_ itself- was probably squashing her minuscule life right now. Sir Hugh would just have to jet very fast.

She would prove him wrong, just as Phoebe had electrocuted his hand.

Just when her impatience was starting to wear at her giddiness, Kate heard Matt's voice. Though she could not pry her eyes from the microscope. She was afraid that if she did look away they might disappear.

"You've found something, haven't you?" he said, now next to her.

"It's here," Kate said softly. And even as she said it, she could scarcely believe it herself. "There's life."

Common sense told her that they would not disappear. So Kate looked up and saw his eyes were glowing, just as hers must have been. "Look!" she said, jabbing a finger to the eyepiece.

He grabbed to edge of the workbench and pulled himself to the microscope. He was quiet for a long time. Kate was busy worrying that they might disappear like her star had only days ago.

"Where did these come from?" he asked.

"The surface of the space rock," Kate said. If there had been gravity, she would have been bouncing up and down.

"And they're alive?"

"I thought they were moving a bit at first. I think our air killed them, or at least our air pressure. They wouldn't be used to it."

"But what are they?"

"They look a bit like diatoms to me. Tiny unicellular organisms. Yet they're quite different from anything I've seen on earth, crystalline almost. They way they link together in patterns reminds me of plankton," she replied, all in one breath.

"Little fish in the sea."

"Not fish. Plankton are drifters," she automatically corrected him. She hadn't paused to consider his suggestion, though, and did so now. "You know those early scientist who wondered if outer space was liquid? Maybe they weren't so far off! Maybe it's like a vast sea and what I've just discovered is some kind of astral algae!"

"It's incredible!" he said.

"And if there's plankton drifting around out here, maybe there's other life that eats the plankton!" Kate said, remembering finding the drifting spiders on the search for the Hyperion. They had then found arozoans.

Almost to her disappointment, she heard magnetic feet clanking down the stairs- Sir Hugh. Both she and Matt turned to see the boisterous scientist tediously making his way towards them.

"Is there anything interesting about that bit of space rock?" he asked.

"Quite interesting, Sir Hugh," Kate said pleasantly. "You'll want to take a look."

It took quite some time to get Sir Hugh buckled down at the bench to his content. He put his eye to the microscope and spent a great deal of time staring, adjusting knobs and clearing his throat. Kate looked over the scientist's bald head at Matt and gave a huge grin. He would understand; he had been there when Phoebe had electrocuted Sir Hugh.

"Your slide is dirty, Miss de Vries," the zoologist.

Kate's grin dropped and her mouth fell open. "It's not in the least dirty!"

"You prepared this slide yourself?" he asked.

"Yes, from a swab of the surface of the space rock."

"Either your solution or the slide itself was already tainted with some microbial matter."

"I took every precaution," said Kate. Her hate for this ignorant snob reignited.

"You've got some old algae debris here," Sir Hugh said. "That's all."

"Very well, then, Sir Hugh, please take your own sample and prepare a slide. I think you'll find exactly the same thing."

"We shall see, Miss de Vries. Now let me undertake a proper investigation."

Kate felt she was about to explode. She felt like she might not mind much if she let it out. A selection of choice, unladylike words made themselves present in her conscience.

Luckily for Sir Hugh, the _Starclimber_ gave a sudden shake. Kate's words froze on her tongue.

"Did you feel that?" Kate asked.

Matt nodded, but kept silent. Soon enough, they heard a dull thud and felt another tremble.

"What was that?" Sir Hugh demanded.

"I'm going to find out," Matt said, and jetted up to the bridge.

Kate immediately went to look out the porthole. For as far as she could see, there were basketball sized meteoroids, almost exactly matching the space rock.

The meteoroids started to crack open. So, not meteoroids, but eggs.

For a while she just stared.

But then she had to rub it in the zoologist's face.

"Sir Hugh! You must come look at this!" she said, her mouth splitting into a huge grin. He certainly could not deny _this_ evidence!

"What? What is shaking the ship?" the zoologist asked, cautiously peering through the window from where he was strapped down to the workbench.

"What, Sir Hugh, do you make of this? Am I mistaken, or is the window just dirty?"

Sir Hugh did not reply, but instead turned an unpleasant shade of green. Kate turned to see Matt return, with Tobias. She gave Matt a huge smile.

"I knew it!" she cried. "I knew there could be life up here! It's positively _teeming_!"

"We're going to be teeming too," he said, and Kate noticed how wary his face seemed to be, "unless we get rid of that egg fast."

"What egg?" demanded Sir Hugh.

"That rock is an egg!" Matt said, pointing to the space rock.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked. How stupid she was, to make the connection between what was outside and the rock here, in the laboratory and not realize what it meant.

"I think I'll clear off until you get this sorted out," said Sir Hugh, clanking his way to the staircase, going much faster than he had been arriving.

Matt gave Tobias a glance, looking for answers. "Is there anything we can put it in?" he asked, turning back to Kate.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she said, feeling pleased that she had insisted on bringing the cage. "Sir Hugh thought it was pointless, but I brought a rather nice specimen cage."

She floated to a workbench and pulled it out from underneath.

"That's big enough," Tobias said.

"Let's get it into the cage," Matt said, "then into the air lock."

Anger flared in Kate's chest. "What are you going to do with it?" she demanded.

"Chuck it off the ship," he said.

"You can't just get rid of it!" Kate said, horrified. "It's an invaluable specimen."

"Maybe you haven't seen it's teeth," he said. As if teeth would matter.

"We'll need someone inside the air lock," Tobias said, "to open the outer hatch."

"Someone," Matt echoed.

Neither seemed to keen on volunteering. Maybe neither of them would do it at all. On the other hand, if neither Matt or Tobias did it, Chuck Shepherd would anyways.

On the lab workbench, the space egg trembled.

"Hurry!" Matt said, trying to release the buckles holding the cage door secure. "Get the cage open!"

Kate didn't remember the straps being so fiddly. Matt had to wedge his feet in two footholds to loosen the first strap. Just as the metal door opened, the egg cracked. Through the fissure, Kate could see a pale, moving glob.

"Get it inside!" Tobias shouted.

Wincing, for it must've felt particularly nasty, Matt seized the egg and moved it towards the cage opening. But before it could be shoved in, the egg gave a sudden hiss and flew straight out of his hands, spewing debris and a horrible smell.

"Get the cage up here!" Matt cried, jetting towards the hatchling. As soon as he reached the ceiling, another noxious blast hit him in the face, along with one of the last hunks of exploding shell.

The force of it was enough to send him tumbling backwards. At the same time, the egg jetted itself across the room, where Matt was woozily rubbing at his eyes.

"Behind you!" Kate cried.

Matt spun, to find himself face to face with the huge silvery head. Perfect red spheres floated in the air between Matt and the hatchling. It was the blood pulsing from his forehead.

Kate turned to look at Tobias, to see that he was as petrified as Matt.

"Mr. Blanchard-" Kate stared in a hiss, and then, "Tobias!"

He looked over. Kate gestured for him to cage the hatchling, while it was distracted. He nodded.

From directly below Tobias shot, the cage door wide open. It must have sensed his approach though, because the hatchling shot sideways. Tobias slammed into the ceiling.

Across the room, the creature crashed heavily into the porthole and ricocheted right back towards Matt. He yelled and tried to swim out of the way. This obviously had no effect in outer space, so Matt did not get anywhere. The hatchling struck him in the shoulder, knocking him into the wall. He punched the thing away, but it merely let out a spew of gas to face Matt again. It's teeth gaped sickeningly wide.

Frantically, Kate searched the room for something to help him. Matt would _not_ be hurt, even if this creature was scientifically important.

"Matt, here!" Kate cried, scooping up an air pistol. She sent it flying towards him, and he caught it.

The pistol fired. The recoil sent Matt slamming against the wall, but it also blasted the hatchling away. Bad luck sent it shooting straight up the staircase to B-Deck.

From the lounge Kate heard a shriek; whether it was from Miss Karr or Sir Hugh she could not tell. Matt immediately jetted upstairs, followed by Tobias, and then Kate.

On B-Deck, all havoc had broken loose. In one corner of the room, Miss Karr had a camera pressed to her eye, frantically snapping pictures. Haiku was letting out a terrible, high-pitched squeal, and Sir Hugh had taken off his magnetic shoes. He was thrashing around in mid-air, going nowhere. Academic papers swirled around. The hatchling jetted towards Sir Hugh, stopping inches from his face. He bellowed, and the hatchling seemed to bellow back. It released a jet of stinking gas that threw Sir Hugh head over heels.

"Drive it towards me, Matt!" shouted Tobias, who still clutched the specimen cage. Kate grimaced as Matt flew directly for the hatchling. Evading capture, it dodged Matt's outstretched hands and shot across the lounge straight into the kitchen.

Everyone held their breaths. An explosion of cursing came from Chef Vlad, followed by loud clanging and banging. Then nothing.

"Chef Vlad!" Matt cried, hurrying to the kitchen. But before he could go through the door, the chef floated out, carrying an enormous, shaking pot. His hair and eyes were wild, but he was smiling. Kate's mouth fell open.

"My soup pot is very useful, eh, Mr. Cruse?"

"Well done, Chef Vlad!" Kate said, smiling weakly.

The pot shook violently, then became still.

"Let's get it into the cage," Matt said. Kate joined the arrangement helping to push the cage opening snugly against the pot. Tobias slid back the lid. Instead of the explosion Kate was expecting, the hatchling merely floated into the specimen cage. They closed the door tightly. Kate felt bad for it, being trapped in here.

"It looks exhausted," she said.

Chef Vlad peered into the cage thoughtfully. "I am thinking maybe this could be interesting to cook."

"Sorry, Chef Vlad," Matt said, picking up the cage, "we're getting rid of it."

_What?_

"You're not serious!" Kate cried.

"Completely serious," he said, barely glancing at her.

"But it's safely caged," Kate said, trying to reason with him.

"We can't risk it, Miss de Vries." He sounded very tired, not willing to argue anymore. But that would not stop Kate.

"But this creature is of huge importance!" she insisted.

"So are the humans aboard ship."

A few feet away, Tobias said, "Your forehead's still bleeding." He took down a first-aid kit and pushed it towards Matt.

Kate hardly noticed. Matt was safe. _Everyone_ was safe. There was absolutely no reason at all why they shouldn't keep the hatchling.

"Mr. Cruse, I _want_ this specimen!" Kate said. She was acting like her mother would have, demanding that she got what she wanted.

"I am an officer aboard this ship," Matt told her, his voice raising, "and right now we have more pressing thinks to think about than your specimens. I won't discuss it anymore-"

_Miss de Vries._

"-Kate!"

Kate couldn't speak and she felt her cheeks redden.

_He just had to loose it, didn't he?_

At first he did not seem to notice, but when he did, his face grew pale with shock. The whole room was quiet, watching them.

Kate had to say something. And not only as a cover-up, but also because he had no right to speak like that.

"How _dare_ you speak to me in that way!" she said, poison in her words. She was not playacting.

Very inappropriately, Sir Hugh piped up. "But I quite agree with Mr. Cruse," he said. "We should get rid of it immediately."

Kate could not handle Sir Hugh right now. "So you can say it never existed?"

"Nonsense," Sir Hugh said.

This was just too much. "Oh, I know you, Sir Hugh. You're not really interested in the truth, you're just interested in being _right_! If we get rid of this specimen, what proof do I have?"

"I'll take some pictures of it right now," said Miss Karr. She looked at Matt, as if she needed his consent. Kate hated that. "If I can just have a moment?"

Matt and Tobias were looking at the hatchling. The hiss of its venting gas did not seem so strong now, and it sounded more like a struggling whistle. It now moved weakly, nudging the sides of it's prison halfheartedly.

"What's happening to it?" Tobias asked.

"It's in distress," said Kate.

It whistled weakly once or twice more and then went still. Kate did not know how to tell if it was dead or not. Then, quite suddenly, it crumpled, like Sir Hugh might have plucked up the courage to poke it with a needle.

"The air pressure," Matt said.

"Yes," Kate said. "That must be it."

"What do you mean?" asked Miss Karr, curious.

"It's used to a vacuum," Kate explained. "Zero pressure. But this is fourteen pounds per square inch. I bet that's why it had so much trouble hatching. Remember the ones outside? They just blasted out of their shells. This one could barely crack it. Our atmosphere crushed it to death. Poor thing. Still," she added, unable to suppress a smile. "I now have a specimen to bring back."

Nobody could argue with her now. Since it was thoroughly dead, it was of no harm to anyone.

"I'm glad things worked out for you, Miss de Vries," Miss Karr said. Kate couldn't tell if she meant it or not. It did not matter, though.

"They usually do," she replied.

The ship's phone rang, and Kate turned just in time to see a disgusted look clear from Matt's face as he answered it. "Cruse here," he said.

Though she now had the hatchling, Kate still felt a pang of remorse. In science, she felt that she had done the best she could do in the circumstances. She always managed to get things right. But in keeping this boy while desperately falling for him, that she had meet on an Airship cruse, she always did the wrong thing. It was as if these two things of her life were at war and she had to pick one. Science, or Matt. This expedition into outer space, or Matt. This hatchling, or Matt.

Most of the time she could barely manage to squeeze these two together.

Kate would keep trying, though. It was worth it, wasn't it? At the moment, she still had the choice of keeping them both. At the moment.

**I'm very pleased with my ending. It just sort of wrote itself. **

**So, I hope you liked it, and I also hope that you hope for more soon. **

**Thanks, everyone, for the reviews!**

**Now I must get to bed, for it is late to be on the computer.  
**

**PS: Did you happen to notice the connection between the beginning, the end, and the title? I (hee hee) _hope_ you did.  
**


	23. I've Been Waiting

**I know. When did I drop off the face of the planet? I'm sorry, so so so so so so so sorry.... so sorry.**

**I've been a lazy butt ever since vacation; sorry!**

**Also this is probably a bit rusty.**

**Kenneth Oppel owns what you recognize and such.  
**

Never had sitting in a classroom seemed so incredibly worthless.

I made my eyes focus on the teacher, but my mind drifted impatiently elsewhere; impossible to concentrate. The Airship Academy was the last place I wanted to be now.

Though on the other hand, this last while I'd been incredibly happy to be here, on the ground. After crash landing and then spending some time in the Ritz Carlton getting our land-legs back, the crew of the _Starclimber_ all got to go home.

When I had stood in front of the door and saw my mothers face I hugged her tight. Izzy and Sylvia had run squealing to jump on top of me.

Mom started crying, because she had been right. The expedition had gone far from well and it made my heart ache to think that it could have been me who had floated away from the ship in Shepherd's place. If I had never returned home. I caught a few stray tears of my mother's face.

"I'm so glad your safe," she had said into my ear.

My summer holiday hadn't been over, so I spent what remaining time I had before returning to the Academy with my family. Izzy and Sylvia were delighted that I finally got to stay in their new home and I was relieved to finally spend my vacation winding down.

I also saw Kate, when we could.

Since then, I had returned to Paris to continue my studies; it was my last year at the Airship Academy before I would have to find another job. The mere thought of returning to the sky made me giddy. The one thing that deflated my happiness was that Kate was not been able to leave Lionsgate City until I had already completed nearly a month and a half of my school year. Most of this last month I'd been thinking of her in all my spare moments.

We were engaged. I half expected it all to be a yearned-for fantasy, and that Kate would come back to Paris unknowing of my existence- or that she would not come back at all. All the same, though, it made my head dizzy just thinking of her.

Today I was especially jittery because she was coming back to Paris, tonight. We had arranged for dinner a week ago, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Mr. Cruse, weren't you listening to me?"

Startled out of my daydream, I replied.

"Yes, sir," then, "Could you repeat that sir?"

******************************

It was 8:00, and of course Kate was late, because we had planned on eight sharp. Who knows what was keeping her this time; wasn't this as important to her as to me? It should be.

Butterflies whizzed at light speed inside my stomach and goose bumps had long since crawled up the back of my neck. Simple common sense told me that Kate was always late and always would be, but I still couldn't help a shot of fear that said she would not come.

In the last few months I'd gotten nearly all I wanted. The thing I was so terrified of was if something went wrong and Kate and I were forced apart.

In front of the restaurant was a bench and I went to sit. I pulled out the letter from my pocket, the last letter I'd gotten from Kate. Yes, it said eight o'clock, but my watch said 8:10 now. After waiting over a month to see her again, every minute now seemed like another week.

As I watched each car drive by my fingers tapped on the bench irritably. Adrenaline would surge every time one would pull over.

Right up to the point were my patience was wearing thin, from one of the black cars, I saw her step out. Her brown eyes looked around, and then latched onto mine.

On her mouth was a wide, beautiful smile, one that must have matched mine exactly.

Before either of us could speak, I realized something. While I was afraid that Kate and I might not make it together, despite all my efforts and how much I wanted it. But I was even more terrified that it wouldn't work because I wouldn't try.

Deciding that not many people could be watching, and that I didn't care, I hugged Kate as tightly as i could.

"I missed you," she said.

And I decided that yes, I wouldn't only try, but I would make it happen. I would never let her go.

**The ending was really a thinker. Hard to end. Hope you enjoyed. Hope I redeem myself and write something else later. **

**Love y'all.**

**P.S. Don't you love the word "howdy"? I do.**

**Oh, and new FAVORITE book. A have-to-read. _The Knife of Never Letting Go_. I've been practically bitting my nails off- the second book, _The Ask and The Answer_, comes out tomorrow and I've pre-ordered it on Amazon. Why can't I have it now!?  
**


	24. An End to a Beginning

**So I decided to face my fears and take a stab at this; you'll quickly find exactly what _this_ is, I'm sure. Um... eventually got _The Ask and the Answer_, sequel to _The Knife of Never Letting Go. _It was fantastically awesome and _Monsters of Men_, the last one, comes out in May in the UK. I'm super duper exited. Right now I'm reading _Graceling_ (I think that's how you spell it) which is really very good. **

**All that belongs to Kenneth Oppel belongs to Kenneth Oppel. Also, I decided to try, for the first time, writing this in first-person for Kate, something I've never done before. Ah, pardon my French, but what the hell. I decided to take a stab at that too. Enjoy, please.  
**

I tried hard to pull my face into one that might appear downcast and disappointed. If that etherian specimen had in fact been lost, I wouldn't have been very happy either.

"Well, Miss de Vries. We've searched everywhere, and the specimen is not here," Sir Hugh had announced. "I believe that it is time to proudly take the necessary step and back down. Don't you?"

"Yes, Sir Hugh," I had replied, trying both not to roll my eyes or laugh; but still keeping a sorrowful gaze.

"But what a shame. What an awful shame…" he had then said.

Now, free from the cluttered mess that was now the _Starclimber_, Sir Hugh and I were making our way to the courtyard for tea and pastries. Still feeling a tad woozy from being back on solid, hard land, I didn't feel like moving much for the rest of the day.

As we approached the table, I saw Miss Karr sitting with Matt, both having their tea. A funny feeling bubbled in my chest; I found it hard now to look away from Matt when I saw him. It was a wonderful, but I was terrified too. It seemed that there was after all something in my life that tied me down, that had need of me, and that I had need of. Before I would have thought of this as a chain on my freedom, but now I just don't know.

Sir Hugh and I, followed closely by Captain Walken and Dr. Turgenev went to sit down. I notice there is an easel and canvas Miss Karr appears to be working on.

"There's no sign of the etherian specimen," Sir Hugh said, sighing heavily. "Crushed to dust in the wreckage."

I nod solemnly, playing my role. "It was very brittle."

"It's tragic," said Sir Hugh.

"Tragic," I echo. "But we do have some excellent photographs, and we discovered a great deal about it. Our article will shake the scientific world."

"I do wish we had something to show, though," Sir Hugh said.

Don't worry yourself too much, Sir Hugh, _I_ will have something to show.

He continued, "Sometimes scientist are infuriatingly hard to convince unless you waggle the thing in their faces."

"Yes," I said smiling drily. "And sometimes even if you waggle the thing in their faces and it electrocutes them, they _still_ don't believe you."

"Hmmm," said Sir Hugh vaguely, trying to pretend he hadn't heard me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a nap. This heat is quite enervating. I'll see you all at dinner."

We all watched him leave, and we all saw the exotic-looking Gannet poop on his shoulder. I smiled at this tiny revenge.

"That's really too bad about your etherian specimen," Matt said.

My smile grew wider, thrilling at the prospect of spilling my secret. "Oh, it's perfectly fine. I sneaked it up to my cabin before reentry."

His face was wonderfully shocked. "You're joking!"

"Not at all. I wanted to keep it safe."

Everyone else was quite surprised as well. "But why didn't you tell Sir Hugh?" Matt asked.

"I will- in a bit," I said, promising myself as well as the others. "Don't look at me like that! This is my insurance."

"Insurance for what, Miss de Vries?" the captain asked.

"In case he tries not to give me equal credit for the article. I still don't trust him. When the article's published, I'll produce the specimen."

"It's devious," Matt said , shaking his head; but now he was smiling too.

"But ingenious," said Miss Karr. "Good thinking, Miss de Vries."

I remember Matt saying how I shouldn't want to be like Miss Karr, pushing her monkey around in a pram, and hoped that he had changed his mind. Because I wanted to be very much like her.

I spy Matt wave to someone behind me, and looked over my shoulder. Tobias is walking, or rather flowing, through the courtyard arches in a billowing white robe, carrying two large shopping bags.

"What is this you wear?" Dr. Turgenev asked him.

"A galabia," he said. "It's a traditional Egyptian robe. I needed some more clothes."

"It looks cool," said Matt.

Tobias nodded. "Probably won't wear it much back at home, though."

"Have some tea," Captain Walken says, pouring a cup.

I decide to have a look behind Miss Karr's easel. "Gosh, what a brilliant painting!" I exclaim; I see a ever-spanning glow of deep green pines and a vast night sky with luminescent stars. Movement seemed to flow from the colors and shapes, even though my common sense told me it was impossible.

Miss Karr's eyes twinkle with consistency to that of the stars. "It's coming along."

Then Dr. Turgenev had to take a look too. "Sky is not accurate," he said, frowning. "And tree is too thick. You improve with time."

"Thank you, Dr. Turgenev," said Miss Karr.

"It's like a little piece of home," said Tobias, smiling from behind Miss Karr's shoulder. "I wouldn't change a thing."

Ever since we had touched back down to the ground, home had been a wonderful word.

"Speaking of home," Captain Walken said, "Mr. Lunardi should be here tomorrow. He'll take us all back aboard the _Bluenose_ after he inspects the _Starclimber_." From his pocket he retrieved a stack of letters. "We've had telegrams today from Sir John and the Prime Minister, full of bravos and patriotic hurrahs. Apparently we're to be given a ticker tape parade when we return."

"I don't mind that," said Tobias.

"Not a bad send-off for retirement," chuckled the captain, looking through the sheaf of telegrams. "Let's see. The king also sends his congratulations and best wishes to all. And, oh, yes, the president of France sent his sympathies for our failed mission."

"Cheeky!" I exclaim. "We reached outer space first and discovered life beyond the sky! I hardly call that a failure. The last bit didn't go smoothly, I'll admit."

Before I'd actually thought about what I was saying, the words had spilled out and everyone else went quiet. We all were remembering Mr. Shepherd, how he was lost to us, and to his fiancé.

Tobias finally broke the silence. "What happened to the astral cable?" he asked. "The part attached to Ground Station?"

"Mostly burned up on reentry. Lowest bit drifted down into the ocean," Dr. Turgenev answered.

Captain Walken nodded. "Mr. Lunardi said it fell slow as a ribbon."

"Will this mean an end to space exploration, do you think?" Matt asked. I listened closely, wondering if he would ever want to. I myself wasn't sure; I'd have to think about it.

"Mr. Lunardi's disappointed, but I've never known him to turn away from an idea he loves," the captain said.

"We build new rocket, new cable," said Dr. Turgenev wistfully.

"The last one got eaten," Miss Karr pointed out tartly.

As much as the thought of leaving earth repelled me now, I was still intrigued. "You'd have to figure out some way of keeping the astral flora and fauna off it," I say.

"Of course," said Dr. Turgenev, sounding completely sure of himself. "Protective coating, maybe. This is no big problem. We go up again."

I smiled at his confidence, after all we'd been through.

"I hope we do go back," said Tobias, surprising me.

"After all that?" Matt asked.

"I think so. I want to walk on the moon, remember? What about you?"

Matt paused for a moment, and I saw it when he reached a conclusion. He shook his head. I felt a sort of relief.

"I missed the sky," he said.

Tobias laughed. "Fair enough. Right now I just want to go home."

After a while, the captain and Dr. Turgenev went off to attend to business and later, Tobias walked away towards the hotel's swimming pool. I took another sip of my tea.

Miss Karr, still with us, looked up from her easel and her eyes were glittering again. "And what about you, Miss de Vries? You must be anxious to rush home into the arms of your fiancé."

Now that the truth was out, I was no longer angry or embarrassed. "You knew from the start, didn't you?" I said.

It also made me smile when Miss Karr cackled loudly. "From the second I set eyes on you two. You belonged to each other. That's exactly what I thought."

My face flushed with satisfaction. _Belonged to each other_. It felt good not to be keeping secrets.

At least for now. Soon I would be back to lying through my teeth to Mummy and Daddy; at least until some other things sorted out and I knew what to do.

"Well, there's no point in putting it off any longer," I said. "I'm off to send some telegrams." Shuddering, I warned them, "If you hear screaming, that's my mother in Lionsgate City."

"Good luck," Matt said, grinning at me.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. But just as I was about to leave, a porter from the hotel stepped up to us, holding what appeared to be a telegram.

"Miss de Vries?" he said. "Telegram for you."

"Thank you." I took the letter and gingerly opened it- who knew what was inside? "It's from Mummy."

The telegram read;

_Kate (Stop)_

_I am most shaken I can barley tell the porter this message (Stop) I heard rumor and it is true (Stop)_

Oh, dear; I could practically hear her voice rise and fall with grief, such that no telegram could record. What could it possibly be this time?

_Your once dear fiancé James_ _just last night was found inside a crypt in Point Grey cemetery_

I could feel my face steadily grow red.

_with a shovel and wheelbarrow most indecently embracing_

And redder.

_Mrs. Mimsy Rogers (Stop)_

Mimsy! Mimsy Rogers!

_He was suppose to be on a midnight walk (Stop) Last I've heard they've eloped (Stop)_

_I am breaking down Kate you must come home as soon as possible (Stop)_

_Your dear mother (Stop)_

"This is horrible."

"What's wrong?" Matt asked.

"My fiancé, George-"

"James."

"Apparently he went for a midnight walk in the Point Grey cemetery. He was found inside a crypt with a shovel and a wheelbarrow- and in a very indecent embrace with Mimsy Rogers. Can you _believe_ it?"

Miss Karr was skeptical while Matt, most likely remembering my story, shook his head, laughing. "Mimsy Rogers really gets around," he said.

I couldn't believe it; George Sanderson, cheating on _me_. "I can't believe what a wretch he is!"

"Why are you so angry?" Matt says, still laughing. Miss Karr had refocused her attentions to her painting.

"That's not all," I retort. "They've eloped."

From behind the easel, Miss Karr said, "Maybe Mimsy liked graveyards more than you."

"He pledged his undying love to me!" I continued. "And he didn't even last three weeks!"

"Kate," Matt said, as if trying to tame a wild beast, "you didn't care one bit about him! You couldn't even remember his name."

Right; not George, James. But I still turned to glare at him. "That has nothing to do with it. I've been completely humiliated! Rejected! And by the likes of _George_ Sanderson, too!" This time I said _George_ purposefully.

Miss Karr seemed quite done with me. "Enough, Miss de Vries! The fellow's done you a huge favor."

I took a deep breath and felt the anger already slipping away. It didn't matter, really. I smiled. "I know. The timing's perfect."

I motioned for the porter to come back. "Could you take a return telegram, please? Let's see… 'Devastated by the news. Utterly heartbroken. Am considering becoming nun. Your loving daughter, Kate.'" Perhaps I wouldn't be set up for marriage anytime soon if they believed I was stricken enough. I gave the porter a smile and said, "Did you get everything?"

"Yes, miss."

The nun piece might be an overkill, though. "Maybe take out that last line about becoming a nun," I add.

"Best not give your parents any ideas," Matt agreed.

"Please send it right away," I said, dismissing the porter. "Thank you so much."

I took another sip of my tea. "This really is a delightful courtyard."

When Miss Karr stood, my heart started accelerating. "I think I'll take a walk in the garden. Come along, Haiku."

Matt and I sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry your wedding's canceled," he said, though of course he didn't mean it.

"Terrible business." I sipped more tea and looked at him. "I'm very, very sorry I hurt you, Matt. If I had it to do over again-"

"You'd do exactly the same thing," he told me.

I almost protested, but than laughed, because of how well he knew me and how he was exactly right. I felt my cheeks flush, feeling even guiltier. "Yes, you're right. But I always knew I'd be able to make it right in the end. I wouldn't have done it otherwise, honestly. I'm not the horrible person you think."

"Marry me."

My stomach dropped and I tried to cover it. I set the tea cup back on it's saucer so that I wouldn't drop it. "Aren't you going to get down on one knee?"

He got down on one knee and held my hand, looking up at me.

"Will you marry me, Kate?" he asked again.

"You can't propose properly without a ring," I say, trying to stretch time out a little longer.

Someone would think that a rich girl would know all there was to know about marriage. I always just thought that I'd never seriously have to think about it; all George Sanderson had been was just a minor bump in the overall picture. It had never crossed my mind that I actually might _want_ to marry; not before Matt.

He smiled a little and reached into his pocket and took out what was most defiantly a ring. George Sanderson's ring. And even though my thoughts were whirring about my skull like a trapped canary, I couldn't help but smiling.

"That's a nice-looking ring."

"Cost a fortune," he says, still holding my hand. "And now, for the third time. Kate de Vries, will you marry me?"

In the end, I was just asking the wrong question. It was not, _Do I want to marry?_, but, _Do I want to marry Matt because I love him?_

I leaned down and took his face between my hands and kissed him, trying to tell him all that could not be put in words.

"Yes," I said. "Yes, and yes, and yes. But it will be terrible."

"Probably," he agreed.

"Honestly," I sighed, "I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying of in one direction and you in the other."

He smiled. "It's a good thing the world's round," he said.


	25. Ticker Tape Wonder

**I so proud! This one came out so quick! And here's something I found whist looking through the comics;**

**"To the world you may be one person,  
but to one person you may be the world.  
-Heather Cortez" **

**Sweet, huh? Well I guess all that I have else to say is that I now love the TV show Bones; have I told you? Kinda gross sometimes but awesome non the less. Oh, and I'm excited for Halloween!**

**All ideas belong to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

I jolted as the car rode over a bump in the road; but I hardly noticed. All around us people crowded, holding Canadian flags, waving them so vigorously it seemed to make the very air vibrate with energy. Once again I marveled at all Earth was.

It had taken a good amount of time to put it together, but finally we had gotten our ticker tape parade we had been promised back in Egypt. All the former crew of the _Starclimber_ were packed into either this car or the one behind us. I was grateful they hadn't stuffed us into one car. Sir John had insisted that everyone dress formally for the occasion, so I had on a slick black suite complete with a bow tie at my neck.

True to it's name, ticker tape parade, shreds and scraps of paper flew all around us. I only had to squint my eyes to imagine that all the paper being tossed from the offices and houses to either side was a brilliant swirling blizzard; the noise our shouting crowd was making blurred all together and sounded like wind. In the car behind us Miss Karr was standing with Haiku, having insisted that he come with. For some odd miracle, the monkey wasn't screaming or hitting anyone on the head, not even Sir Hugh. The zoologist was still hustling to put distance between himself and Haiku, squeezing against Dr. Turgenev. Dressing also in a suite, the Russian scientist was looking very accomplished but trying not to frown.

The first car, the one I had been placed in was more crowded. Tobias was behind me, grinning widely and thumping me on the back. In front of me was Captain Walken headed the parade. This was sort of a send off for him, into retirement; and what a marvelous send off this was. If I were him I probably couldn't imagine a better celebration. I'd have felt incredibly honored, and only wished that I might get something near as wonderful as this when I retire from the skies.

The place next to me should have rightfully been Shepherds, had he been here. Before the parade had begun, I had actually had the chance to meet who would have been his wife. I still didn't know her name, but she came and talked to us all. I wonder sometimes what it might have been like to know the other side of Shepherd, the one who had loved his fiancé.

Kate, someway or another, had gotten herself the would-be empty space beside me for herself. At first I had been angry with her, taking a dead man's place. Though soon my irritation had worn off, and I was glad I had her next to me.

After what seemed like forever and only a few seconds I saw the end of our road through the torrent of white. There was a stage with a podium, where we would each give a few words to our audience and the reporters and their flashing cameras. Sir John and Mr. Lunardi had encouraged us to dedicate our success to the people of Canada, stay nationalistic, and add extra doses of Canadian spirit. In other words we were meant to please the crowd; and though of course all the people of Canada had done for us was practically nothing, it still sounded good to me.

My mother and sisters had promised to be there, at the end waiting for me, and sure enough I saw them there. Isabel started jumping up and down, yelling when she saw me. Sylvia was maintaining her mature attitude but her face still glowed. Mom stood behind both of them, smiling at me and crying a little. It was nothing less than I expected. I grinned and waved back to them all.

Just as the cars where going to stop I reached out and grabbed Kate's hand, squeezing a little before raising our arms up. I twisted around and held up Tobias' hand, just as with Kate's. I could practically taste the victory in my mouth. Taking a quick peek over my shoulder, I saw that Sir Hugh had decided to risk taking hold of each of his neighbors hands and reached up, mimicking us.

Captain Walken turned around, smiled warmly at all of us, and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt that I would burst with pride; we were heroes here and I felt better even than when I had been in the newspapers for fighting pirates or finding the _Hyperion_. But I would also miss working under my captain, now that he was going home to his family for good.

When the cars juddered to a halt I released Tobias' hand and kissed Kate's. Everyone was smiling at me and I felt that I would never forget such a wonder like this.


	26. On a Bike in the Park

**I certainly feel on top of things! Even after a late night last night-now, do you want to know why I was up late last night!?**

**I saw WICKED. And I'm wearing my WICKED SHIRT that says "I (HEART) OZ" WITH THE WICKED POSTER/SIGN IN THE HEART! It was so AMAZING!**

**I was in bed at 11:00, _witch_ (ha ha, _witch_!) really isn't that late, but when getting up for school the next morning, it is. I'm in that state of tiredness where you feel super-hyper. Kind of like the time my friend and I ate a small piece of flan (sugar-loaded Spanish treat) and where on a sugar high the rest of the day.**

**But enough blabbing; all belongs to Kenneth Oppel, except my original ideas, though maybe not because my original ideas came from his original ideas. Interesting...**

**Do you see what I mean by the tired-hyper-tasticness?  
**

The parks are incredibly beautiful in Paris, but what captures my attention even more so is Kate, sitting next to me.

"You know," she says, cautiously, "my parents are coming to France, to check up on me. Or at least that's what they said. They probably just want to make sure I'm behaving. Focusing on my studies and all."

"What?" startled out of my pretense of peace, "When?"

"In a week-" and when I try and interrupt her, she shushes me. "I know what you're going to say; but it's not my fault! They only gave me as much as a notice. I'm not particularly happy about it either."

So much for a peaceful day in the park. She was grimacing a bit too, though, so I said, "I didn't say I wasn't happy about it."

"Oh, please. I know you well enough. But I _do_ feel the same way. I'd rather they just leave me alone for once. I did stay in Lionsgate City for practically a month for them."

"You had to, though, keeping suspicions low and all that," I said. "It wasn't fun for me either."

She pushed me, teasing. "_You_ didn't have to stay cooped up indoors, cut off from all social life. I'm glad you didn't have any fun. They kept telling all their friends that I didn't feel like company and that I was still recovering. Recovering! From a bad relationship that never even happened! Can you believe it?"

" I guess not. I was in class, though," I said. Then I thought some and looked at her squarely. "Would it be the same with me?"

"The same with you what?"

"If our relationship went… bad."

"Oh," she said, but then smiled, "I don't think I'll have to worry about that anytime. I hope not, anyways. But to answer your question, no. I don't think I'd recover that well."

I smiled at her. "Really?"

"Absolutely," she said, taking my hand in hers, "But don't think you've changed the subject. I was going to say that I don't think it would be a bad idea if I... invited a few friends over to dinner when they're here."

"You mean me? So they would recognize my existence?" I could have said this nicely, but didn't feel much like it.

"They wouldn't have just forgotten you, Matt. In fact it would be so much better if they did, after the jail incident before the expedition. I'm sure they'd like forgetting about you as much as you would them."

"That's my point exactly; they already despise me!" I said, bitter, but at the same time seeing where this argument had to be going. Kate was very persuasive, if not brutal in her demands.

"That's why I'll invite some other people, so you'll just seem to be one out of my numerous acquaintances."

"What other acquaintances are there?" I asked, wondering who else she might be spending her free time other than me.

She sighed, exasperated. "Matt, I do have a social life out of university. And other than you. It's quite normal, really."

It's as if she can read my mind.

"We can talk about it more later," she said, getting up from the bench, "I want to ride my bike."

At this point I knew the best thing to do would be doing as she said. For now.

One time a couple days ago, I'd suggested that we go bike riding in the park, seeing as how last time, before the _Starclimber _expedition, it had been fun. At least once we'd gotten rid of Mrs. Simpkins it had been fun. Kate had agreed enthusiastically and we had met here, at the park, though she'd been a little late.

I swung my leg over the seat, but then let Kate go ahead of me. Kicking off, I started to pedal after her.

"Would I know any of your other acquaintances?" I asked out of curiosity.

Kate looked back over her shoulder, smiled, and told me, "You would, if you come to dinner with my parents."

I sped up my peddling, coming up to speed with her. "I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it!"

"Sorry I couldn't resist. But it's true enough!"

"Well, what if I refuse to come?"

"You could do that…" she started, face reddening some, "though I should probably tell you, I did send a letter back to my mother. I mentioned the dinner with them, maybe… to introduce some friends to them."

"You did what?"

I noticed that she avoided my eyes. "See! I knew you wouldn't like it, so I added it in-"

"So maybe you could force me to come; yes I understand," I said, annoyed at her persistence, "But there's still no reason they'd miss me at all; I've got no commitment."

"I should probably tell you something else, too…" she said.

"No!"

"I might have mentioned a few names in my letter, also."

"You _might _have mentioned a few names, have you?"

"I'm sorry," she said, and I could tell she meant it. I also knew she probably didn't regret that she'd done it.

My annoyance dissipated some. I smiled and laughed in exasperation. "Really, I should have expected nothing less."

"Probably not," she said, "but, Matt, this is really important."

I peddled and thought about why I'd gotten angry. "Why is it so important now, though, Kate? Why can't it wait some?"

She sighed and instead of answering my question right away, she stopped her bike and said, staring around us, "Isn't this lovely?"

I took a moment myself to look around. We'd ridden into a forest of tall, cumbersome trees, who's boughs leaned heavily towards the ground, weighted by the leaves they carried. Even though it was cold, the sharp blue sky still thrust it's way though the branches. It was a lovely place, better then the park. Here it seemed there wasn't a soul around except for Kate and me.

"It's beautiful," I said.

From her pocket she took out the ring I'd given her, when I'd told her I loved her.

"Remember what this means?" she asked, holding it out to me. I was a little surprised, but overjoyed too.

"You keep it with you?" I asked, so happy that she had it with her.

"Of course. I can't wear it or show it, but I still wanted to have it with me," she said. "But I guess what I'm saying is that if I'm going to marry you, I need to at least try to convince Mummy and Daddy."

She swallowed heavily, rubbed her eyes, maybe covering up tears, and said, "I'd think we need to at least get them a little used to the idea of you being something to be reckoned with. They can be infuriating sometimes… but, they're my parents."

Wait, what? Why hadn't she mentioned this before? If it did make her feel so... sad, then of course I'd do what ever she said.

"Kate…" I said, but couldn't think of anyway to finish. Instead I reached out and hugged her to me tightly.

A little tongue tied, I started babbling."You don't think I think the same things? I'm not sure my mother would entirely agree. But we'll make it work for her and for your parents both, okay?" I said, and after telling her all this I added a short, "I promise."

For a while we said nothing and I hoped that she'd gotten the full extent of what I wanted to tell her. Eventually she said something.

"I know. It's just that there's a chance they won't let me, forbid me from marrying you, and then what'll we do then?" she asked, though I still couldn't see her face.

"Maybe we should do dinner," I said, knowing full well I was completely backtracking on myself.

She pulled back some. "Really?" she asked, face now glowing. I was continually amazed at the mood swings women could go through. "Because if you really mean it we'll have a lot to plan."

"Yes, I mean it, but only if you don't make it such a big deal," I said, trying to rain her in some. Though now that she was happy, I was too.

"Why not, though?"

"Kate, you've won! Don't try getting anything else from me; it doesn't have to be big. At all. Please?"

"Fine. We'll see, but I'll have to finalize it with Mummy. I'm sure she'll have no problems; even when they kept me trapped at home they still wanted me to "re-immerse myself in society". At some point or another; it'll just be a bit earlier than they expected," she said. I could tell her brain was already planning at full speed. It would be a long dinner, but, like she said, an important one too.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Then she looked over at our bikes and then up at me. "Do you think we should hide the bikes?" she asked, her eyes glittering, "We wouldn't like to be found out like poor Mimsy was."

I grinned, this time knowing exactly what she was thinking. Pulling her with me, I hid ourselves behind the tree closest to us. She pushed back against me and kissed my lips.

"We'll work it out," I told her, but she didn't reply except to kiss me again. This time I didn't nothing but focus on her warm hands on my neck and her lips on mine. Right then I didn't care much if anybody caught us, ever. Because I would try my very best to keep that promise to her.

**Love you all muchly, hope it wasn't cheesy, and hope this left a good tast in your mouth. **


	27. Beginings and Ends

_Kate and I just looked at each other. The gold's glimmer was nothing compared to the brightness of her face. I took her hand in mine and felt once more that sense of homecoming.I wanted to pull her tight and kiss her, but that would have spoiled it somehow, because I wouldn't have been able to see her eyes. And as long was our gazes met we were like a current. We were electricity, and together we could have powered an aerial city. My Himalayan heart felt big as the sky, and just as strong._

**********

Kate smiled and said, "We should probably go show everybody."

"Best not keep them waiting," I agreed. We broke eye contact and I looked down at the glimmering gold at our feet.

"I feel just a bit sorry for Hendrickson. His bad luck became our good," I said.

"Yes, I suppose so. Back in Paris, I told Hal that we made our own luck," Kate said, "but maybe that's not always true. The _Hyperion's_ crew can't have known what they were getting into. It was Grunel who brought on all of it."

We started making our way back to the dinning room. I reached out and held her hand in mine.

"You could make a scientific experiment out of it. If you're really so interested, I mean," I said.

She seemed to stop and seriously consider it, though I'd only been joking. " A theory might be possible, but I think I'll leave that to someone else. Maybe Hal will figure it out for himself."

My other hand was clasped tightly around the pillowcase, the weight of the our new-found riches nearly dragged on the floor.

"What do you think you'll do with your share?" asked Kate, motioning to the sack. "Will you actually buy a new uniform?"

Since knowing the blue prints had been lost with the _Hyperion_, my dreams of what I could have with riches had began draining from my conscious. Reality separated from the fantasy. Instead of thinking of myself, I thought of the idea of buying my mother and sisters a house. I told this to Kate.

"Not anything big, but something nice, something of their own, you know," I said. "But I might just have to get a uniform on the side too, for my mom. It'll take ages to convince her to buy anything, and if I get something for myself, maybe she'll do it."

"Your sisters will be happy, I expect."

I loved the idea. "Very happy."

By now we were nearing the dining room; everybody had left Hal to his peace. Thinking of Nadira, I found that the weight of the gold eased my own guilt some, knowing I could give her and Hal something after I'd messed up so terribly. It was nice thinking Nadira wouldn't have to start totally from scratch, beginning her new life. And now I might be able to see Hal without being barraged with insults.

Kate and I dropped each others hands, but she pushed me ahead of her.

"You found it," she said.

Inside, Hal must have seen us. "Showing your face, eh, Cruse?"

From behind me, Kate looked over my shoulder. "Don't start talking just yet, Hal."

I made a show of it and sauntered over to sit in a chair, letting the pillow case hit the floor harder than necessary.

"What's that you have there, Cruse?"

I considered asking him to say please, but thought that would be pushing it.

"I was climbing up into the chirothopter and a hatch opened up under me. You know how Hendrickson was trying to steal away off the ship?"

Kate cut in, getting impatient. "Hendrickson wasn't just trying to steal himself off the ship, but also that pillowcase."

I lifted it up onto the table for Hal to look. Pushing away the fabric, the gold inside glittered temptingly, daring you to grab for it.

Hal's eyes bulged. "I'm drunk. This _isn't_ what I'm seeing."

He did look a little woozy; his bottle of whiskey was nearly empty.

"Forty bricks," I told him.

"The manservant?"

Kate and I nodded.

"Bloody hell. The one I threw out the ornithopter?"

"Chirothopter," Kate corrected.

"Bloody hell."

Apparently the gold gave Hal the energy to stand up. He hovered over the sack, drunkenly mesmerized. It occurred to me to take out the eight bricks for Nadira and I. Pushing Hal out of the way, I took our share.

"The rest is yours," I said.

Footsteps came from the hallway. "Has anyone-" Nadira stopped mid-sentence, probably surprised to see us all in the same room together, after our last meal. But it was obvious what really had pulled the words out of her mouth.

Her jaw dropped. "What…?"

I smiled wide at her astounded face, for it must have been as wild as mine had been. Nadira would be all right; she wouldn't have to marry any old man with bad teeth, whatever her mother had to say about it. She'd have something to go off of, to make her dent in the world. Hal would pull through with the _Sagarmatha._ And I'd be alright, with money to buy my family out of our old apartment and into something they would be happy and proud of. I'd have Kate, not caring about what I was or what I had.

No doubt things would go wrong sometimes, they usually do, and we'd argue and get stuck on floating death traps together, Kate and I, and we'd make up, but most important is that we wouldn't let anything get in our way.

**********

**Happy New Year, happy late Hanukkah and Christmas, and everything else we have to celebrate.**

**P.S. It's been awhile, I know, but I'll just say that there are actually two other things that I started writing and got some writers block on halfway through. I just need the right day and the right feeling and I'll get them out.  
**


	28. First Times

**Here we go, I battered this out. I still have that piece on the dinner coming, and a few more ideas floating around my head. **

**Also, I wanted to know if anyone else noticed this. On page 118 of the American copy of _Starclimber_ Kate asks, (in verbatim) "'Do you really think she'll say yes.'" with out a question mark. I really bugs the crap out of me. Though, sorry that's kind of random.**

**All, really, belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

I can't dance; I never learned. It's sort of terrifying, something you'd get out of so not to embarrass yourself. Cloud cats and aerozoans terrify me also, but stick me in front of an audience to dance and I'd be happy to float away on the bulbous sack of one of those air-squids. Maybe even Phoebe, Kate's long lost specimen, would do me the honor. As long as I was safely away from the tentacles.

Last time I tried learning, aboard the _Saga_, I ended up stepping on Kate's feet a lot and then didn't improve much. Before then I had never needed to dance, much less for the fun of it. If I had continued to live the life I'd had aboard the _Aurora_, I probably would not have had to do it much in my life, but because fate had decided Kate would have a place in it, things would be different.

Thinking of it now, many things would be different. And all of this Kate had just explained to me.

"You think so, too, don't you?" she asked. "You need to learn. Last time…" Her voice trailed off. I winced.

"What do you have in mind?" I wanted to know.

"Lessons?"

I frowned at the idea of paying just to learn how to dance.

"I could teach you… if you didn't kill me."

I didn't say anything, but didn't scowl either.

Kate continued down her line of thought. "But you know, if I was handicapped," she stopped, and her nostrils narrowed at me, though I hadn't done anything yet, and then smiled evilly, "Marjorie could take over."

And that was that.

**********

From the hall, I heard Kate speak: "If you _really _want to, Marjorie, you can watch! But, heavens, why? Do you want to help out?"

Ms. Simpkins' reply was somewhat muffled. I just continued to sit on the couch, waiting for Kate and praying she didn't bring Ms. Simpkins.

"Well, fine, then, if it makes you happy."

My heart sank. With just Kate and I in the room with her, Ms. Simpkins would feel no need to restrain her comments.

When Kate walked in with Ms. Simpkins in tow, apparently _she_ did not feel the need to hide her displeasure, by the look of her face. Her chaperon looked as prim and aloof as ever.

"Marjorie finds herself in need of the library as well," Kate said. We had pushed the furniture from the center of Kate's library, giving us a satisfactory ball room. Though honestly I'd been surprised that Kate's apartment had not already come equipped with one. "You can take any chair you want."

"Be careful," quipped Miss Simpkins, " don't step on me, please."

Kate gave a sharp laugh. "Step on you? If you want to leave, that's certainly fine."

"No, no. Just be careful."

"Alright, then," said Kate, turning to face me, "I thought we'd start with the box step, because that's what we did last time, so it won't be completely new. And we'll do it without music, first."

I knew this was when I had to stand up. Near the corner in the chair she'd picked, Kate's chaperon sat with her nose stuck up a book, but I could see that she kept peeking over the top. Annoyed, I got up and smiled at Kate, hoping to at least make this as uncomfortable for Miss Simpkins as it was for me. To my delight Kate smiled back, and Miss Simpkins frowned.

With one hand on my shoulder and the other in mine, Kate stepped me through while I focused on not stepping on her feet. I couldn't take my eyes off our legs without placing a wrong foot or tripping. But gradually my _dancing_ went from disaster to at least mediocre.

Every time I did misstep, I looked up from my feet at Kate, and , some to my relief, saw her eyes laughing at me, not frustrated. So I didn't stop.

"Wonderful, you're doing fine," Kate whispered, just quiet enough so that her chaperon did not hear.

"Not really. But as long as _you're_ fine…" I trailed off.

"I am fine; so we'll start the music," Kate said, and then raised her voice. "Marjorie, would you be kind enough to start the record, please?"

Miss Simpkins muttered something about "not being a servant", but then reached over anyways and set the music playing.

**********

The music I'd chosen was a nice classical piece, conducted by a Josef Rhienberger. The notes flowed in such a way that I'd hoped might pick Matt's feet up with it. Sometimes music can have great influence on such things, most of the time in an unconscious way.

"I'll tell you when to start, alright?" she told him. "Exactly as we've been doing it."

"Exactly," he repeated.

"Though it might be a bit faster," Kate added, just before the piece started.

"So not exactly."

As we started, I could tell that he was trying to focus on many things at once. The steps in line with the music and watching out for me, all while trying to lead. I had been very young when I'd learned and at the time had seen no point in it, but mummy and daddy had insisted. Lessons had at first been a very dull part of the day, but when I improved it wasn't half as bad. So I admired Matt and his stubbornness. And through the whole time he still managed to be as gentle as usual. His hand merely rested on my waist, unlike some men I'd danced with before, clamping down. His hand other was sweet, holding mine.

Not to say that he was any better yet. The only other good thing about it being that my toes had escaped much of the bruising I'd been expecting.

**********

Miss Simpkins did not enjoy being a servant, and surely that's what she was being turned into. Kate had once again asked her to tend to the record player. At least she hadn't ordered her to fetch the refreshments as well… Kate had excused herself, saying she'd ask the _actual _maid to bring something to drink. Though maybe it _would_ have been better if Marjorie had left the library, for now she was sitting through a long silence with the former cabin boy, Matt Cruse.

"Are you well, Miss Simpkins?" he asked.

"Just watching you two makes me exhausted," she remarked.

"Really? Aboard the _Saga_, you seemed an excellent dancer."

The chaperon's face flushed; he considered himself a charmer, then! Indeed, Kate's last engagement had not prevailed, but there was no doubt in Marjorie's mind that something else would be set up in a matter of time.

"Yes, well, I must have had quite the adrenaline rush at the time," she said, though there really was no need for an excuse.

"Miss Simpkins, you really can't be _that_ old," he said, though actually managing to only sound a little rude.

But the impudence of it!

"Old? Nowhere near it, Mr. Cruse. _You_ aren't the one who has to chase a charge like Kate around everywhere her whim fancies. If it was any other girl, really…"

Matt nodded solemnly. "I know what you mean. I express my deepest condolences."

Well, there was nothing she could say to that. Instead, Miss Simpkins gave a little "Hmph" and returned to her reading, but also to thinking.

It was no good that she herself was actually paid to chaperon young Miss de Vries, but now she had to practically double her efforts of vigilance, ever since Matt Cruse had started socializing with young Kate. Except when Marjorie's own interest came into the picture. She had formed a sort of agreement with Kate over the summer; she would be allowed to _socialize _with Mr. Cruse so long as she didn't breathe a word about her own diversions to Mr. and Mrs. de Vries. Though she still didn't like the way they had danced together.

**********

I let out a breath when Kate came back, soon followed by drinks. I was a little surprised at what Kate had requested: champagne, brought in by the maid on a platter with three glasses. Apparently Kate had also been considerate enough to include her chaperon in the festivities.

When I asked her why we were celebrating she said, "Well, there's a first time for everything, and when I learned, I'm sure I would have loved to have some fun in-between all the lessons. They were rather horrid. The neighbors must have heard my cries from across the street! "

To me, this seemed silly, but I didn't argue. The bottle gave a hearty _pop_ as the cork came loose, and Kate and I sat back on the couch. Miss Simpkins had declined her glass, saying she was not in the mood.

I raised my glass in a toast. "To first times. May they always be good."

"Yes," Kate said, and then added, "and may you one day dance."

"That day," I said dryly, "will come when also Phoebe decides to return."

"We'll have to hope very hard she does, then. And that you do."

**Okay, so I wasn't so sure on how to end this one, but decided to turn it out anyways. If anyone has any brilliant ideas on how to put it differently, let me know.**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews; I'll still try and post when there are none, but they give me fuel to write!**

**If there's any ideas for other stories, please speak up, it'd be fantastic.  
**


	29. Dinner and Gourmet Food

***Note: I've tried my best with putting a French accent to writing; don't think ill of me.**

**All belongs to Kenneth Oppel.**

I was already sweating something heavy and it wasn't due to the weather. Standing at the door of Kate's apartment, I pulled at my collar. Why had Kate talked me into this?

Just about a week ago, she'd told me that her parents had agreed to have this dinner and meet some of their daughter's accomplices; or that's what they'd thought. "Now," she had said, "it'll do no good if you really stand out, so try not to. But, on the other hand, make sure they know you're there, if you know what I mean." I'd not completely known what she'd meant and figured I'd just wing it.

Now I was having second thoughts. I mean, after finding both Kate and I in jail together just before the _Starclimber_ mission, I would think I'd stand out like a sore thumb to Mr. de Vries. Though Kate had absolutely forbidden me mentioning the incident. "I really don't think they'll bring it up in front of company," she had told me.

My watch said it was nearly six o two, and I was trying to remember the rest of the long list of things to do and not to do that Kate had instructed me on. Like, " And for goodness sakes, be humble. Only contradict them if they're really, really insulting." After she said this I'd been wondering gloomily if they would actually start insulting me when Kate cheered me up; "Sorry, if they started rampaging I would normally say something," but then my cheeriness went away, "but it's probably better if I don't. It would suggest too much to them."

That was all I could remember. I sucked up my second thoughts, gathered up my courage and rang the doorbell.

The door was opened with a kind of restrained eagerness and there was Kate.

It must have looked as if someone had swiped the polite smile from her face and put it on mine because once she saw me her expression was one of great seriousness. Though my smile was not one for manners, but a great smirk.

"Isn't getting the door what Deirdre is paid for?"

"Oh don't joke!" Kate hissed back. "You're lucky Madeline and Aimee got here before you. I _told_ you not to come early!"

And that's what I'd forgotten.

"It's not early, it's six o three. You said to it started at six."

"Yes, it is suppose to start a six, but people just arrive late. It's an unspoken rule."

I frowned, remembering the countless times I had waited for Kate. "Yes, I've noticed."

"Is it really six o three?" Kate asked, ignoring my comment. "We better go in, no time for chit chat. Everyone's in the sitting room; Madeline's the one wearing glasses and Aimee has blue on. Don't confuse the two, please."

She smoothed out her dress and I could tell she was nervous because her hands would not be still. Through the hallway that I already was familiar with, I followed Kate and tried to stand tall. Lights glowed from the doorway to the right.

Before we went in Kate whispered, " I'll have to go back to the door; there's another guest."

"Wait, what?" I whispered back. I did not fancy the idea of being be alone in a room with two strangers and Kate's parents.

"No time."

The sitting room was not incredibly large, but it was incredibly furnished. Seated on the couch closest to me, Mr. and Mrs. de Vries seemed to fit in with the fancy room perfectly. They sunk into the cushions comfortably and had solid masks of ease set on their suave faces.

Aside from the couch the de Vries' occupied there were two chairs and one other sofa. In each of two chairs were two girls. The one I assumed to be Madeline wore glasses, and was suitably jumpy and perched tediously on the edge of her seat. Looking at her I thought that she might be a bookish sort, but then also not like Kate. Madeline's bushy hair and precise fingers made her look the part. The other girl, Aimee, was very different and looked very French. I didn't see Miss Simpkins anywhere.

All conversation stopped and four sets of eyes turned up to stare at me.

" This," Kate announced, "is Matt Cruse. Mummy, Daddy, you already know him, I believe."

"Ah, yes," said Kate's mother, though a bit sharply.

"Mr. Cruse. I hear you ended up getting a spot aboard the _Starclimber_, young man. Congratulations," said Mr. de Vries.

"Thank you, sir," I said.

"Well," Kate said, cutting off what would have been an awkward silence, "I better go back; Lee Ann should be here shortly."

She smiled at us all and left me alone.

"Well why don't you sit down, son," offered Mr. de Vries.

As if on command, I sat, secretly laughing at his choice of words.

But I must be humble.

I searched for something to say. "Madeline, Aimee. How do you know Miss de Vries?"

Before Madeline could answer, Aimee cut in. "Vee are practeecally ze only girls at Sorbonne," she said. "Vee naturally group togezer."

"How nice," Kate's mother said.

"And you got to go into outer space, Mr. Cruse? With our Kate?" Madeline asked.

"I did," I said, "it was extraordinary. Though the training was very extensive."

"Deed you actually 'valk' in space?" Aimee asked.

"My friend and shipmate, Tobias Blanchard was the first. But yes, I did too."

"Kate has told us about this music of the spheres. She says all the crew heard it, once immersed in space," Mrs. de Vries said.

"I heard it, like everyone else. At first I didn't notice, but the captain told me later that I'd been humming through my entire space walk, over the radio," I explained.

"It's an extremely interesting idea, but one quite impossible," Madeline said.

"Though I seem to recall," started Mr. de Vries, "that when Mr. Lunardi was announcing the names of the crew members, yours wasn't one of them."

I swallowed. "That's true too. I only got the spot because Mr. Bronfman was drunk at the celebrations after and broke his leg. He tried sliding down the grand staircase."

The girls all smiled, to my great relief. Though Mr. de Vries did not.

"I don't know about you, Daddy, but I would not have felt very safe aboard the _Starclimber_, and I go as far to say, with a drunkard."

We all looked up, fairly surprised, to see Kate once again standing in the doorway, but now with yet another girl. I hadn't even heard her come in.

"Ah," said Kate's father, "yes, of course."

"And," Kate continued, amazing me at her boldness, "I already knew Mr. Cruse here could handle most tight situations, from when he saved us all aboard the Aurora."

I was afraid my face had flushed. "Thank you, Miss De Vries. Though I'm sure you're over exaggerating."

"Not at all, Mr. Cruse. I very much owe you my life, as do many other people."

I pretended to cough. All her lecturing about being subtle!

"I think we best get started with dinner. It's all ready," Mrs. de Vries cut in.

"Excellent idea," said the girl standing next to Kate, who must have been Lee Ann. "I'm really sorry I'm late, it's terribly rude of me. But I'm famished."

I wanted to laugh at Lee Ann's words, about how rude it was being late, but settled for smirking at Kate before we all left for the dinning room. She ignored me and her expression didn't change a bit.

Whenever I'd been in Kate's dinning room before, the seats had never all been filled. This time, a good portion of them were. Not that it was a tight squeeze now; there was plenty of elbow space for all seven people.

The first course came out and conversation lingered, though with a few silences between chat. I could tell Kate was trying to fill in where she could and make everything as painless as possible.

It was Mr. de Vries who sat at the head of the table, with his wife at his right arm. Nobody else would have noticed, but it was only after I had sat down did Kate take a place far from me. Aimee took the seat between me and Kate's father, while Lee Ann was on my other side. I shifted uncomfortably, this really not being an ideal place to sit, though really I wasn't sure where would be a good place. Madeline was next to Kate.

"What deed you think, Mr. Cruse, of outer space?" asked Aimee.

"Outer space?" Lee Ann, asked, obviously intrigued. "You were part of the Canadian expedition? What was it like?"

I prayed that I would be able to keep from embarrassing myself. "A little under a year ago, yes. I was attending Miss de Vries' presentation on high-altitude life and Mr. Lunardi was there with Sir John, the Canadian Minister of Air. They invited me to take part in the training."

"Ah yes, Monsieur Lunardi; ze aiership tycoon, ze one who made eet before ze French."

Aimee's words warned me off making any slips on Canada's achievement. Obviously she was a little touchy on her French pride. Instead I slid the topic some. "Before the expedition, I had a summer job, piloting an air-tug that working on the Celestial Tower. Though what wasn't in the newspapers, was that one of my shipmates had been a Babelite. He brought a bomb aboard the _Atlas_."

"I remember reading something in the paper, but it hadn't mentioned any names," Lee Ann said.

"All they did afterward was clap us on the back and then told us to shut up about it."

"I'm sure they didn't want anyone to know their tower had just about been bowled over," Lee Ann agreed.

"Yes, but obveously eet vaus not bowled over," Aimee tartly replied, "because Mr. Cruse ees steal wiv us. I vould like to know ze rest of ze story."

"It _did_ come down later, though," Lee Ann said, not quite willing to be beaten down. I admired her; it reminded me a lot of what Kate might have done.

Though at the same time, I did not want to be caught in-between two arguing young ladies. So I went on. "At the end of the day, we were dropping off our last cargo at the tower," I continued, getting into the story-telling mood, "and we didn't even notice anything until we heard boots pounding on the catwalk. There were three of them, dressed as construction workers, each with a gun. Two had theirs immediately trained on two of my crewmen, Andrew and Hassan. Before I could send a distress call, the third shot the transmitter and then pointed his gun at me.

"I was confused at first when Christophe, my third crew member, told me where to take the ship. But there was nobody pointing a gun a him."

"Did you ever suspect him before?" Lee Ann asked.

"He always had a bit of a temper, and was very proud, but no, I never even thought of it. But the one thing he couldn't do was fly a ship; he kept me at the helm, having me take the ship inside one of the actual piers of the tower. We tied the ship up and one of his men armed the bomb. They gave us a choice; they could shoot us, or we'd go down with the ship."

"And you chose to go down with the ship," Lee Ann said.

Aimee just batted her eyelashes.

"Yeah, so we'd at least get a chance to save ourselves. Christophe ordered his men off the ship. They used parachutes. But when Christophe clipped on his harness, alone, all three of us jumped on him. I got the gun, but Andrew tried to snatch it from me and dropped it again. Christophe dived for the hatch, but we got a hold of his parachute, and… he fell without it.

"Andrew then went for Christophe's parachute, and he had the gun, so Hassan and I didn't try to stop him. Though it was a waste; he didn't know how to work it and got himself killed, too. That only left Hassan and me. I figured our best chances were making it to the lake nearby and dropping the bomb. We made it just in time. We dumped the bomb, and it still made a colossal fountain of water and most of our windows shattered, but we survived."

"And all of that never even made the papers," Lee Ann said, laughing.

Kate must have been listening in. "That day I'd thought I'd heard a motorcar backfiring. But if the explosion was as enormous as Mr. Cruse says it was, I don't know what else it could have been."

"So you worked on ze Celesteeal Tower and den joined Mr. Lundari's crew. You must have great interest in space," Aimee commented.

"I guess I never had much interest at who's project it was. Like you said; it was only outer space that captured my imagination."

"As it did mine," said Kate.

"Was it as amazing as Miss Karr's article described it?" asked Lee Ann. "I remember some fellow before had thought it might be entirely liquid. It's an intriguing idea, isn't it?"

"Very intriguing. Though I've learned since then that it would be near impossible. With Earth's gravity, all the liquid would have been sucked down on all of us, just like the Starclimber was on reentry. And because we know that rain doesn't come from the ether, liquid wouldn't be in outer space. There's really practically nothing up there as far as liquids and gasses go."

I could tell that Kate's parents didn't think this was at all dinner conversation, but I, along with the other two girls, were interested enough for the two of them. The talk spread out from there, everything a bit more loose than it had been. Mrs. De Vries asked her daughter, though not me, about Egypt and Kate told us all about how we had knocked the nose off the great Sphinx while attempting a landing in the dessert.

"You'd have thought the dessert would have seemed a very empty place," I remarked, "but after outer space, all the flowers and sand and buildings were incredible."

"I remember the smells the most," Kate said.

I turned and smiled at her. "Me too. They were even better than all the sights."

She smiled back, but then seemed to remember where she was, as did I. She lightly cleared her throat and changed the subject.

Sometime later, when we were just finishing dinner of beef and potatoes, Mr. de Vries called me out. "Mr. Cruse, tell me, are things still going well at the Academy for you? I trust you didn't miss any of your studies while on the expedition."

"No, sir, I didn't. We had most of the summer off and so I got back in plenty of time."

"What sort of training do they give you, besides class work?" Kate's mother asked.

"About twice a year they send us all on training tours," I said. "Though my first time was unlucky; we got caught in the Devils Fist." Though of course I didn't mention what we'd seen, or what had followed.

"Devils Fist?" asked Mattie.

"A famous storm knot, I believe. Am I right, Mr. Cruse? Circling about the Indian Ocean," Mr. de Vries said.

"Yes, sir."

To my amazement, he laughed. "My god, boy, I'm surprised to see you alive today. How did you get out of it?"

"It was no easy thing, sir," I said, watching my words. "A downdraft took the ship towards the ocean, to far down, till we were but fifty feet above it. If we hit, we'd be sunk for good. The captain ordered for all our ballast to be dumped, and so we rose. But then we were too light, and got caught in an updraft and were taken above the clouds; but we lived."

"But this captain actually ordered that you take a route through the storm?" Lee Ann asked.

"Yes; but he was reckless."

To me, Mr. de Vries' face did not seem disdainful, and I took it as a good sign. But still, remembering what Kate had told me, I took the attention off of myself and asked Lee Ann where she had come from, for her way of speaking did not sound all to different from me, or Kate and her family.

"I came from America for university. I grew up in New York," she told me.

"I asked the same question," Kate said, "when I first met her."

"I have a good friend from America, who goes to the Academy as well. He has a job working at the observatory. I visited him a few times near the beginning of summer; it's a beautiful place, to look at the stars."

Throughout the rest of dinner, the conversation remained fairly light. Soon it was time for everyone to leave.

On the way out, Kate stood by the door saying goodbye. Her father came up to me and held out his hand. "It was good to see you again, Mr. Cruse. I wish you the best of luck with your flying."

"Thank you sir. Take care," I replied. His grip didn't try to overpower mine, and I was glad.

Just going through the doorway, I heard Kate breathe out, so even I could only just hear her, "Thank goodness that's over."

**********

I was sitting at a small stone table in a café near to where Kate's apartment is. An iron wrought fence separated me from the rest of the bustling street. The hooves of carriage horses clicked on the cobblestone, men in suits hurried through the crowds, and mothers herded wandering children. A peculiar shop across the way had caught my interest, selling gourmet frog legs. Soon enough, my wandering gaze caught sight of Kate, coming down the block. She caught my eye, came into the café and sat down opposite to me.

"Hello," she greeted.

"I'm surprised you're here," I said. "I thought your parents were still were still in town."

"There are, but they also believe that I'm going to spend some time at the library. They didn't even ask what I'd be reading, can you believe it?"

"Haven't you used that excuse too much already?"

She smiled and told me sternly. "You can never go wrong with good reading."

"Have they said anything about me?"

"Only what a 'nice young man' you are, but what I really think is that they can't figure you out at all," she said, but then snorted, "they thought Aimee was a complete angel."

"I thought that all you girls at the university, as she put it, _naturally _group together."

"Well, maybe," Kate admitted, "but that doesn't mean I like all of them. Aimee is a stuck up flirt. Even during class she finds way to talk to all the men." She seemed to stop and think. "She didn't flirt with _you_ did she?"

A little offended, I protested, "What's that suppose to mean? I've been flirted with before, besides you."

Kate sighed impatiently, like I was the daft one. "Never mind. It's not important."

"I wasn't sure what I thought about Madeline," I said, but still annoyed, added, "but I liked Lee Ann."

"Mattie and I only connect on science, and so Mummy didn't think much of her, but Lee Ann _is _more of a friend. I'm glad you liked her," Kate said.

"I thought she reminded me a lot of you," I said.

"Really?"

I nodded. "Very smart, but also agreeable."

"Well that's a relief. You find me likeable," she joked.

A waiter handed the two of us menus and then left, so we could look them over.

"Absolutely," I said. I glanced over the menu. It made me think of the frog leg restaurant. "But I was wondering, what do gourmet frog legs taste like?"

"Excuse me?" Now she must really think I'm daft.

"The shop across the street, it sells frog legs. I've never seen anything else like it."

Kate read some items off the menu in front of her, translating to English. " Roast beef, steak, beef sandwich, and, oh, look, chicken," she listed. She looked up at me. "Not much, really. Do you want to go try frog legs?"

The only person I know who would suggest frog legs for lunch, would be Kate. I stood up. "Why not? Let's go."

We left the café together, probably to the great dismay of the manager. Like a great gentlemen, I guided Kate across the bustling street, around men in suits, carriages, and the children. At our new table, the waiter laughed and told us that we were the first one's of the day to order the special.

**I finally got this one out; hurrah! And it was long; hurrah! And it's only been two days since I put out the last one; hurrah!**

**Here's some ideas I've got stewing in my head; Tobias' spacewalk, Kate revealing the etherian to the public, maybe Kate taking Matt on an ornithopter flight, and more from Airborn or Starclimber...**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for the reviews.  
**


	30. Floating Through a Marvel

**Sorry, I meant to get this up Friday, but my internet had crashed: but now it's back!**

**All belongs to Kenneth Oppel.  
**

"Are you ready?"

"Ready."

I took a long breath of condensed, tanked air.

"We're at zero," Matt said. "I'm going to open the hatch."

Once he'd locked his feet into the floor cleats, Matt took hold of the wheel and pulled at the hatch, so that all three hundred pounds of it swung inside.

Butterflies fluttered again in my stomach, just as I'd been calming down. Outer space, with all it's stars and nothingness was spread out in it's entirety, and all I had to do was reach out my gloved hand to be in it. Just a single step to be the first.

The blackness seemed to stretch out forever and then also to barley anything. The stars were so bright that if the hatch closed again, I knew I'd probably have to beat it open again, just to see them in their full glory. In my suit, I drifted, to float right to the edge of the open portal, with my hands on the rim. Without another moment's hesitation, I stepped outside.

"I'm out!" I said, cracking the silence that had been hovering around us, ice-like.

From there, I floated from the ship, a foot at a time. Inside the _Starclimber_ we'd already experienced the sensation of zero-gravity, but out here, in the open, it was even better. My impossible fear of heights had no effect in space, and there was no falling whatsoever. I would have said it was like being in water, except there was no way to control yourself, nothing to push off against.

"I've got you at forty feet, Tobias," Matt said through the radio.

I knew I'd reached the end of the line when I jerked back a bit. But I wasn't worried about my life line breaking; it was made of the same stuff as that dammed land-diving cable we'd been tied to back on Earth. If something like that could stop a man from splatting on the ground from an air dive, then it could stop me from floating from the ship.

"You're looking grand, Tobias!" Matt said. "The first man to walk in space!"

"Not much of a space walk yet," I told him.

Though this wouldn't be a problem, because from the B-deck windows, I could see Miss. Karr snapping picture after picture. To show off for the camera, I bent my knees some and did a perfect circular somersault. From behind the glass Kate de Vries clapped her hands together, and Chef Vlad smiled, hands on his hips. Sir Hugh didn't get too close to the view, probably, I thought, because he was afraid the glass would crack and he would _fall_ out.

"Now," I said, when I kept spinning around and around from my somersault, "the problem is stopping."

"Try the air pistol," Matt suggested.

Even though I was twirling head-over-heels, over and over again, I still managed to unclip the pistol attached to my belt. We'd each been kitted out with one, all containing a small cartridge of compressed air. One squeeze of the trigger would release a tiny amount of the air- but out here with nothing holding you down to anything, there would be enough _oomph_ to shove you in the opposite direction.

"Let's see if Sir Isaac Newton was correct," I said, remembering my physics. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Here it goes."

Newton was right- but even more so in space. Uncannily, I stopped spinning was shoved backwards.

"How are you feeling, Tobias?" Matt asked, checking up on me.

"Just fine," I said, but really feeling more than fine.

"You see any blue lights?"

"No blue lights," I reassured him, "but the view is absolutely amazing! I can see earth below us. It's no bigger than a tennis ball! I can see Van Diemen's Land too! Give me a few more feet, will you, Matt?"

"I'll uncoil you to sixty," he said. I felt my line go slack and so blasted myself to the end, with the aid of my air pistol. I made a good show of it, swooping around, just as I did back in Victoria, underwater. Only underwater there weren't any stars! Out here they seemed so close, clustering everywhere. They made you wonder why down on Earth humans used electric lighting at all, with all these twinkling lamps up here, each an individual blazing sun.

Experimenting, I tugged in my line and moved back towards the ship, landing strait on two feet. My hands clutched a loop of my lifeline, and I imagined myself the mighty commander of a chariot, guiding the _Starclimber_ single-handedly through the sparkling ether.

"This is fantastic!" I said. I was careful not to shout in my excitement. "I had no idea there were so many stars. I swear we only see half of these form earth! You can see things in them, you know, there're so many- you can see shapes, and faces…"

Wanting to look even more, I sailed out again to the end of my tether, not even noticing when I wasn't tugged back more sharply than I should have been. Instead I used my air pistol to propel myself up, so I was almost level to the ship's bow. Scanning the night, I came face to face with a bit of floating space junk.

"Matt, there's something out here."

From below, I could just see his helmet stick out of the air lock, looking for me. "What do you see?" he asked.

"Some kind of rock, I think."

"Is it stationary?"

"I think so," I said. "It's quite close."

Remembering a piece of one of Dr. Turgenev's bore-to-death lectures, I knew that this space rock could be a fleck of dirt inches from my nose, or a planet thousands of miles away. Distances were tricky things out here.

But it seemed _right_ there.

"If you give me about twenty more feet, I can get closer," I told Matt, guessing at the distance.

"Careful, Tobias," Matt warned me. I felt the line un-spool some.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see the thing more clearly. "Here we go. It's defiantly some kind of rock. Should I bring it back to the ship?"

"I think our scientist would be thrilled to have a space rock," Matt said, though I guessed that he might be thinking of Kate de Vries more than Sir Hugh.

"Let's see...." I said, biting my lip and unhooking a specimen bag from my hip. Using both gloved hands, I brought it down over the object, and cinched the bag tight. I'd been right; the rock had only been another few feet away.

"It's pretty big," I told Matt over the radio. The bag floated up from my side, once I'd clipped it to my suit. "Doesn't weigh a thing out here, though!"

"You should be heading back inside now, Tobias," he said.

My heart sank; I hadn't realized how much time had passed. Instead of answering Matt, I turned to stare more around me. "I can see Orion so clearly. Practically make out the scratches on his club."

"Just make sure he doesn't whack you one," Matt joked, chuckling, though I could hear the reserve in his voice. One small part of my brain whined that he was just jealous he wasn't out here instead of me.

"And the moon!" I exclaimed. "It's just on the other side of the ship!"

"Looks close, does it?"

"It _is_ close. I had no idea we'd be getting so near it!"

The amazing thing was that I felt like it _was_ right there, just like the rock had been. Just a few more feet and I'd touch down.

It was like being underwater, looking up to the shimmering, enticing surface that was the moon. Suddenly I knew that I wanted to be up there, at the surface, at that fantastic chunk of cheese in the sky. What was the difference? I _needed_ to be there, because there was where I would be able to breathe.

"It's incredible, Matt. I can see everything, every crater. One good push and you could get there."

My air pistol did all the work for me. One shove and I was sailing across the ship, towards the glowing moon. Just then I noticed something even more incredible: music. Music played around me, as sweet as my mother's honey voice, and just as soothing.

"Tobias, our half hour's up. You need to come back now."

Matt's words seemed to fade from my mind as soon as they got there, as if the tinkling notes of music flowing through my head had brushed them away. "I just want to get a bit closer to the moon, Matt."

"Tobias...."

The blackness of space, hung with starts; it made the perfect frame for the moon.

"....That's a long trip...."

What was that?

"....and not for today...."

I wondered if Matt heard the music too, since he was at the open hatch. "I hadn't counted on the sounds," I remarked.

"What sounds are those?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"From the stars," I told him, explaining patiently. "There's a definite music they make. You can't hear it inside the ship, but out here it's really clear. It's beautiful."

My entrancement was suddenly cracked when I suddenly jerked back some. Matt had locked the spool.

"Hey!" I snapped, angry. "Why're you stopping me?"

"Tobias, time's up," he said firmly, and this time his words stuck to me like glue. "Captain's orders, mate."

"Matt, the moon's just up ahead. I know there's a lot more line left on that spool. Come on!"

"Can't do it, Tobias."

I my anger snapped when I felt myself being reeled back to the ship. I couldn't go in, not now, not when I was so close! My finger slipped around the trigger of the air pistol, and I frantically started fighting the reel with tiny bursts of air, one after the other. It wasn't quite enough.

"Matt, let me go!" I shouted at him. "I can always unhook my tether."

That did the trick. Stopping, I remained at a standstill in space.

"Tobias, don't do that." Matt's voice was deadly cold and as serious as I'd ever heard it.

"I might never get a chance like this again…"

The music was too enticing, sounding as a siren's song might in the sea.

"Later. But come back in now. Miss Karr wants to interview you and get your picture for the papers. There's a lot of people back home waiting to read about the first man in space."

The first…

The only, in all of space…

My breath quickened and my heart started pumping. It hit me that I was all alone out here; it was too much. I didn't want to be called by the siren only to crash into the rocks. I didn't want to get to the shimmering moon, to heaven. Because heaven is the place for the dead.

"It's all so big… shouldn't be out here… don't belong… I'm cold."

Matt's next words came to me in fragments. "Nice mug… coffee… reel you in… help me out…"

Panicking, I couldn't get words out, and I felt so sleepy, the voices singing me into oblivion.

"Tobias?"

_________

Gradually, blackness floated away out of my vision, so that it was once more just the black of outer space, just as it should be.

"I'm fine, I'm fine.," I mumbled, remembering Matt calling to me. I felt as if I was waking from a deep slumber, un-trapping myself from a cage I'd nearly been snared in.

My body floated listlessly through the hatch of the _Starclimber._ Matt hurriedly shut the outer door behind me.

"I'll have you out in a second," he told me, worry coloring his words.

"I must've just blanked out for a minute," I said groggily.

My fingers fumbled at my helmet clamps, wanting the weight off.

"Not yet!" Matt practically yelled, pushing my hands away. Only about a minute later, he unclasped my helmet and lifted it free.

Just as the burden of me helmet left, dread replaced it's load.

_Thank god I'm awake. _

Awake from a total screw up.

Matt pulled off his own helmet, staring at my face. "You all right?"

I nodded sullenly. "I messed up."

"You did not mess up," he told me. "It's all new, and you did it first. No one could have done it better."

I grunted, trying to remember what had been so tempting about that music. Something terrifyingly beautiful, an itch that wouldn't leave my head, and somewhere I couldn't scratch.

Maybe sleep would do me good.

**I'm hoping this wasn't too choppy or anything, and I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for the reviews, I love them all. **


	31. Storm

The skies of Paris raged with storm. Sitting on the edge of my bed in the Academy dormitories I looked out my window. Sprawled across my lap were all the texts and diagrams I was supposed to be studying, but I felt too… unfocused to work. These types of afternoons became more and more common as the French summer turned to fall. The thunder and lightning makes me both fear and crave the sky. We definitely wouldn't be doing any outside training today. The outdoors had become more common in our teachers instructions, since we'd started moving from the classroom to the actual flying in our second year at the Airship Academy.

This furious weather reminded me vaguely of being stranded aboard the Hyperion; being lashed about 20 thousand feet in the Skyberian air.

Then again, being snug and safe indoors left me free to stare in awe at the power of the storm. A power I'd only ever seen displayed in the skies. I was afraid, but not. I knew that loving something means loving every part of it.


	32. Shattered

**"And I've lost who I am and I can't understand why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love... There's a light, there's a sun, taking on the shattered ones, to the place we belong, and his love will conquer all... yesterday I died... tomorrow's bleeding... fall into your sunlight..." - Shattered, by Trading Yesterday**

Why is it always that the one person who you are happiest with can then go and make you feel so miserable? Relationships seem to have a way of twisting a person around like that. I was getting the feeling that Matt was avoiding me, though he does have a right to. Whoever decided to put me on this planet gave me an indelible way of messing things up. The question now is, have I gone too far this time?

It was my turn to make things right, but the idea of merely talking to him again still terrified me. The unmoving coldness he had showed me the last time, when I'd tried to explain _why_ I'd did what I did, didn't look like it'd be going anywhere soon. Maybe last time I had been too brusque about the whole thing; maybe this time I needed to just tell him how sorry I was.

My chance came unexpectedly when on the morning of the third day, our last day aboard the _Bluenose_. I'd woken up a little earlier than everyone, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I was so eager to finally see what our new ship would look like and the idea of outer space lightened my mood some. I dressed and made sure to step quietly to the dining room for some breakfast. The door was propped open so I made no noise stepping through.

I froze at the sight of the very person I'd been building up the courage to talk to again. Here he was, by himself. Of course Matt was just as keen to see our ship as I was, and he'd probably gotten even less sleep than I. I wasn't sure what I should do.

Going by instinct, I just walked up to him, and touching the back of his neck, I leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Please don't be angry with me."

He turned around to look at me.

"I never thought I could be so angry," he said quietly.

After a moment he turned back his scrambled eggs and went on filling his plate. I knew we wouldn't be alone for much longer, and it would do us no good to be walked in on, so I did the same. My appetite wasn't quite gone yet.

"I'll break off the engagement when I get back," I told him.

"Will your parents let you?"

"They can't force me to marry him," I said. "Anyway, people break engagements all the time. With a bit of luck I can probably rig it so it looks like his fault."

He glanced at me. "You really are a very devious person."

I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

"If necessary, yes. I've heard James is a notorious flirt, so there's a good chance he'll do something naughty while I'm away. Then I can act all heartbroken and say he's wounded me terribly, and I can refuse to marry him."

"Why don't you just frame him with murder?"

I was anxious enough not to notice the sarcasm in his voice. "Too much work. Now, you and I have a tricky job ahead of us. For this to work, everyone on the expedition has to believe I _want_ to be engaged, and that you and I are just _acquaintances_. We've got to watch Miss Karr in particular. She suspects something. If she hints at anything in one of her newspaper dispatches, we're sunk. There'll be a scandal and my parents will lock me up forever."

"Might not be a bad idea," he muttered, and I didn't think he was serious this time. I chose to ignore him.

"So you can't flirt with me or pay me any undue attention. Ignore me as much as possible."

"Easy," he said, annoyed. I guess I wasn't staying as apologetic as I'd planned. "I'll be too busy flying the ship."

"And you have to stop glaring at me," I added.

"I don't glare at you!"

I smiled a little. "You do. I catch you looking at me sometimes and it's positively homicidal. You'll give the game away if you keep doing it."

"This isn't a game to me," Matt said, bitterly.

There I'd gone again and messed things up again. "I know," I said, "and I'm sorry Matt. I really am. There was just no other way."

He said nothing. I didn't either. Instead, I just finished getting my food, and sat down. A minute or so later, just as I was about to try and talk to him again, Dr. Turgenev walked in.

"Good morning Ms. de Vries, Mr. Cruse," he said with practically no emotion. "An exciting day this is, no?"

"Yes, Dr. Turgenev, very exciting," Matt said.

With that my chance was stolen from me again, and I felt like I'd gotten nowhere at all.

**I finally got around to doing this one! I hope you're all happy. **

**Besides this latest impulse to write, I started watching the TV show, Legend of the Seeker, on Netflix, and finished both seasons in two weeks. Then Netflix took season off their instant view! I couldn't believe it. They're really fun and mindless to watch, for anyone who just wants to kick back, cry at other people's world-changing problems, and cheer for a hero.  
**

**Also, last summer, Monsters of Men, the last book of the Chaos Walking trilogy came out, and wow. For anyone who hasn't read them, you're missing out. The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, and then Monsters of Men, by Patrick Ness. While we're all waiting for Kenneth Oppel to write his next Airborn book, you guys should try them out. They are the best. The best.**

**Love you all. Sorry I'm no longer pumping out stories like I used to.  
**


	33. Pie

I was dragging my feet down the hallway when the head of our dorm sector, Jonathon, stopped me. He had a phone in his hand and had stretched the cord as far as it would reach. Even in a school as prestigious as the Academy, we only had two phones to share in every house, one for the first floor and one for the second. Any calls we got were directed through the porter to the correct house level and then are free for anyone to pick up. For a second I considered pretending not to hear Jonathon. But only an idiot wouldn't have heard him.

"Thanks," I tell him, and take the phone. "Hello?"

And of course it was Kate. "Oh, excellent, I caught you! I need a favor."

She just couldn't have worse timing.

"Now? I'm really exhausted."

"Please, Matt? _I _really need this, I swear it's of upmost importance for my career."

I paused, and then felt like hitting my head against the brick wall, because of course I was going to do this for her. "What kind of favor?"

"I need a pie… let's say in the next hour?"

For a moment I said nothing.

"A pie."

"I know, I'm sorry. But I just found out that the head of the Biology department at Sorbonne wants to meet me and discuss some of my studies. I invited him tonight, and if I impress him, I'll have a foot in the door that could lead to my success!"

"What, does he want to study the phenomenon of baked apples in an apple pie?" I ask in a dry tone.

"Of course not, don't be silly. He just loves pie. We're going to talk about aerozoans and cloudcats, not _fruit_."

I was getting annoyed with her tone. "Can't you get one of your servants to do it for you?" I said, exasperated.

I wanted to pull my words back just as I'd said them, knowing that was one step too far.

Her voice sharpened. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Of course now I had to fix things. A little.

"Fine" I snap, "I'll get your pie and I'll drop it off as soon as I get it." Angry that this was spiraling into an argument, I hung up, not wanting things to get worse. I turned around and headed back out.

Sometimes that girl just treads all over my nerves.


	34. Apology

"Sorry," Kate says.

I sigh. My anger had already drained away a while back.

"Well, was it any good?" I ask.

"What? Oh, the pie? Definitely. I love apple pie."

"But did the Biology department fellow like it?"

Looking incredibly sheepish, Kate says, "Well… actually, he had to reschedule. Some urgent affair, he said. I'm extremely angry, you know. If that makes it better."

At first I just stare at her grimacing face, and I'm pretty sure my jaw is hanging open. After I'd slammed the phone down that day, I'd stormed back outside, down to a bakery, bought her that damn pie, and then dropped it off after knocking on the door. I hadn't even stayed to make sure it was picked up. Now she was telling me he hadn't even shown up in the first place.

I laughed out loud. Kate was still looking at me like she expected a bomb to go off, but then, slowly, she smiled too.

"I'm _really_ sorry, Matt. Though..." She laughed, and had to stop.

"If you'd bothered to wait, you could have," she choked " you could have had some with me. You might have made me feel better if you'd acted like you were Mr. Barnaby!"

"Sorry, Kate, but I don't think I like apple pie anymore," I said, taking her hand. Then I looked at her seriously. "But I do love you."

"No matter what?" she asked, still grinning.

"I promise."

**(Holy cow, I'm just saying now that I really don't know where this next one comes from. I'm not following any plot line, just so you know. I'm writing it here so as not to ruin _"_Love".)**


	35. Love

I'm waking up, feeling that single incomparable feeling that will only ever come to you in the morning. That lethargic and utterly peaceful warmth of having nothing to do for anybody and nowhere in the world to be. All I have to do is keep my eyes shut and the earth itself will wait for me before it starts rotating again.

But then, of course the bed shifts, and I am so unaccustomed to him being there, right next to me, that my eyes squint open. That last suggestion of sleep drains away, especially after I see what time it is. They're right, you know, when they say that ignorance is bliss. Now I'm reminded of every single thing that needs my attention and all the responsibility floods back. Another day, another chore.

Wait, no. No, no, no, no. That's not the way to start; now that I look, the wonders of the new day show themselves to me. They're everywhere. Sunshine pours from around the edges of the curtains, and the sweet smells of French pastries baked in the wee hours of this very morning fill the room. There's really nothing like French pastries.

And there, laying _right there_, close enough to touch. There he is, all the love I could ever want.


	36. Sure Happiness

"_Hurray! Shall we take a walk?" Sylvia said. "We're so close to the beach now!"_

_ "I think that's a fine idea," I agreed._

-Starclimber, pg. 61, Kenneth Oppel_  
_

The beach was still warm from the sun's brilliant glow. The water sparkled more than I remembered; it was even better than flying over the Atlanticus and the Pacificus. The air smelled of salt, but really it seemed like happiness. The warm sand, the winking sea, the air, and my family were all happiness to me. Even after knowing Kate and all the joy and thrill of being with her, Sylvia, Isabel, and my mother have a certainty and sureness that I don't have yet with her. I know my family will always be there. I know they'll even be there in death. My father is still with me, and so will they.

Isabel is young enough still to want to hold my hand. She is practically bouncing alongside me, and the feeling is infectious. I cannot stop smiling whenever my mother looks over at me, making sure I'm still there. I don't think she believes my father is with us, like I do. She has come to peace with his death, as she must, with two daughters to care for. Even more than that is the fear of losing me too, and it keeps her from being always happy, as she deserves. She is a worrier, and I don't think much can change that.

Sylvia is older every time I see her. Izzie as well, but Sylvia always has matured more. She remembers our father more than Isabel does. That means she remembers the pain of loosing him more clearly, like I do, and I think that's why she feels she has to grow up so fast. Nobody has ever really told her that it would be okay to take her time in getting older. I probably should talk to her before I leave again. Mom will never get around to it, but it's not her fault: she's always too busy. I know_ I_ had to step up and take a job to help support my family, but my sister doesn't have to.

Not today, though. Today is for happy reunions and memory-making. So before I really think about it, and before she has time to react, I scoop Izzie up over my shoulder and run for the ocean. She squeals loudly in my ear, and so does Sylvia behind us. Just as I reach the water Mom calls out behind me to be careful. I turn around but she's laughing too much to be serious. Izzie is squirming so much I fear I will drop her, so I run a few last steps, till the water comes to my waist, and I let myself fall backwards.

Water rushes all around us, and boy I'm glad I changed out of my academy uniform.

Isabel quickly stands up, but she's standing on my stomach, and I whoosh back down underwater. Before I can get up again, she's already run back to the safety of the dry sand.

Then I'm truly shocked, when I see Sylvia running past Izzie to me, with a smile as radiant as the sunshine spread on her lips. As she comes I splash her, and soon she's as soaked as I am. When Isabel sees that her older sister was more of a daredevil than she was, she immediately spins about and runs back towards us. All three of us start splashing each other and I'm not even thinking that I can't swim because nothing could possibly go wrong in such an instance as this. Nothing.

And I'm the happiest I've ever felt.


	37. Stories and Truth

**I know, it's been years. It's unfair to you, but in my head this story is over. I always hated when authors disappeared off the earth. But there is good news: there's closure. It's not a new story, but a parting gift. **

Stories and Truth

_"Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak."_

The most beautiful music was floating over me. The evening light was shining through my open windows. I lay on my bed, turning the pages, one by one. Truly they turned themselves, the words drawing my eyes onwards, pulling me along. My heart beat with a quick _thump-thump-thump_. I knew this part was coming, and had been both dreading and welcoming it. I knew the end was going to be brilliantly terrible.

The best stories reach your emotions and capture your soul. They make you laugh and be happy and be angry and they also make you cry. They make you have to stop mid-sentence because if you read on your family will have to check on you to see what all the noise is about.

I read the last words, closed the cover, and threw my head back onto the starched pillows. My breath released and a sob clung in my throat. I was exhausted; the story had taken hold of my insides and squeezed every last bit of emotion and feeling out of them. Yet there was nothing else I wish to do now but continue to live in that moment. I want to keep this feeling at my fingertips, because it is unlike any other sensation. It is both heartbreaking and enlightening.

The best stories have you believe whatever truth they are giving you. That moment when you are vulnerable and awe struck is when the story imparts its truth to you, the thing you must take from it and learn.

Lying there swimming in my own thoughts, I mull on the significance that was finally revealed to me. This character was lying to himself because the truth of what he really believed terrified him. When he was forced to confront that truth he realized that although it was awful, _it was only a thought_. He learned that actions are what describe who you are. As I read, I learned the same lesson, and afterwards I reached the same clear certainty.

The best stories have you live their truth. The best stories widen your perspective, even if by just a little.

Now I will act.

_"You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do."_


End file.
